New York, New York
by mad4tv
Summary: For those who were interested in the idea from chapter 26 of CTFP, this is my idea of how Chris met his partner, Jem, whilst living in New York. This is a multi-chaptered story that will (hopefully) continue for a while, so if anyone has any ideas for where the story could go then don't hesitate to let me know!
1. Chapter 1

_The first part is a quick introduction carrying on from Chris' departure, but then fasts-forward a week or so._

* * *

Chris had been relatively calm and collected about everything that had happened on his final day in Erinsborough, but on the plane with Lucy he couldn't help the tidal-wave of emotions that flooded out of him. He had woken up the previous morning with a boyfriend, a close group of friends and parents living nearby. Now less than twenty-four hours later he was single, broken-hearted and thousands of miles away from his friends and family. Lucy gazed at the young man sympathetically and rubbed his back gently as he let his emotions out on the flight to America.

Although New York was beautiful, Chris had grown up in the suburbs so it was difficult for him to get used to the huge city. However, what helped Chris to cope at first was remembering that by the time he got used to it, he would be heading back to Erinsborough anyway so that he could decide his next move. Admittedly, it was great to catch up with his friends Andrew and Tash, who were living just outside of the city and helped to take his mind off of his misery for a little while, but Chris still felt an emptiness inside of him that he wasn't sure if he could ever fix.

xxx

Chris panted as he came to a stop outside a garage. He had been going on daily jogs since he arrived about ten days earlier so that he could keep his fitness levels up and get to know the area slightly better. He glanced up and was taken aback when he realised that the garage he was in front of had a close resemblance to Fitzgerald Motors and he inwardly laughed at the fact that it also had a basketball hoop. Memories of his job as a mechanic flooded back as he slowly approached the building, but he was brought out of his trance by a basketball flying through the air and falling through the net. Chris jumped in surprise, having not seen anyone around. An attractive, tanned young man in a wheelchair picked up the basketball and glanced up at Chris, having sensed someone nearby.

The young man noticed Chris' shocked expression, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" he apologised

Chris shook his head dismissively, "No, it's ok" he reassured the other man, "I just didn't see you there"

The guy glanced down at his wheelchair and the cars around him, which were taller than him, "Yeah, I get that"

"Do you work here?" Chris asked

The other man shook his head, "No way! I can barely change a tyre" he admitted, "To be honest, I shouldn't really be playing here"

Chris considered this, "Well the garage that I used to work at had a basketball hoop and you'd be surprised how many people went there just to play basketball, not to get their car fixed"

Jeremy chuckled, "Do you play?"

Chris nodded, "I used to be captain of the basketball team in high school, but I gave it up to be a mechanic. I can still shoot some pretty mean hoops though" he told him, "How long have you been playing?"

"According to my mum, it was before I had even learnt to walk. I used to be the captain of my basketball team too" he paused, "Well, the handicapped one"

There was a pause before the man grinned, "Head's up" he warned Chris

Chris extended his arms and received the basketball that the other man passed to him. Chris took aim and threw the ball into the hoop.

The guy looked impressed, "Not bad" he commented, "I'm Jeremy by the way, but call me Jem" he informed Chris as the ball rolled towards him.

"I'm Chris" he replied, then hurried over to where Jem was so that he could pick up the ball for him. However, Jem reached out to grab it instead and Chris looked surprised.

Jem smiled, "I'm more mobile than I look"

"I can see that" Chris replied, then cleared his throat, "Uh, do you mind me asking how you…?" he hesitated, not knowing whether his question would offend the other man

Jem caught on to what Chris was trying to ask him, "How I ended up in a wheelchair?"

Chris nodded and Jem thought to himself for a moment, "Well I'm not sure of all the medical jargon, but basically when I was a toddler I had a fit" he revealed, "Apparently that's quite normal early on in life, but I ended up paralysed from the waist down because of it"

Chris glanced away, "I'm sorry" he apologised quietly

Jeremy shook his head, "Don't be" he assured him, "It's weird, people apologise to me and feel sorry for me. But I'm not upset - I never was. I don't remember ever being able to walk, so I don't feel like I've lost out, you know?"

Chris nodded in understanding, "Yeah, you live a certain way your whole life so you don't know any different but that way"

"Exactly" Jeremy agreed, "I guess that's the same for quite a lot of my life. Like when I came out people were sympathetic, but I didn't really need it. All I've known is being gay, I don't know what it is to be straight, so I don't feel unfortunate or anything" he broke off sheepishly, noticing Chris' surprised expression, "Sorry, I have a habit of going off on a tangent sometimes"

Chris shook his head, "No, I totally get it" he reassured him. Jem sighed with relief as he realised what Chris was implying, whilst Chris smiled to himself at this surprising turn of events.

xxx

Once the mechanics from the garage returned to work, Chris and Jem decided to make themselves scarce and headed to a nearby park.

"So, apart from basketball, what else are you into?" Chris asked

Jeremy smiled, "Well I'm a professional tap dancer" he joked

Chris chuckled, "Wow, really? I had no idea!"

"I'm into food" Jeremy told him, "Not just eating - though I like that bit too - but cooking and baking"

Chris' eyes widened in disbelief, "Where have you been my entire life?" he cried, "I mean basketball, cooking, we're practically soul mates!"

There was an awkward pause as Chris sat down on a bench then realised how overenthusiastic (and slightly creepy) he sounded and tried to backtrack, "sorry, I didn't mean-"

Jeremy shook his head whilst smiling, "No, I get it" he assured the embarrassed man before clearing his throat, "I kinda fancy a coffee" he announced, then pointed at the general store across the road, "can I get you anything?"

Chris pondered this before jokingly replying, "Well I'm not the kind of person who passes up free refreshments-"

"Ah, you're that kind of guy" Jeremy teased, "Duly noted"

Chris scoffed, "I'll just have an orange juice, thanks"

"Anything else?" Jem asked

Chris pulled a face, "I'd ask for something to eat as well, but I don't want to suck you dry"

Jem nodded, "If you're sure" he replied, deciding not to pick up on the obvious innuendo and instead began to head off.

Chris stood up suddenly, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"I can cross the street and buy some drinks on my own" he assured Chris, "I'm not five, I don't need you to hold my hand"

Chris nodded, "I know, it's just with the pavement and-"

"Chris, I've been in this wheelchair for about twenty years" Jem interrupted, "I think I know how to control this thing by now"

Chris nodded uncertainly, "Ok, if you're sure"

"I am" Jem replied, then smiled gently, "But thanks"

Chris watched Jem worriedly as he crossed the road. Despite knowing that he shouldn't be concerned about him, Chris couldn't help the anxiety that he felt even after Jem had disappeared into the shop.

A few minutes later Chris spotted Jem on the edge of the pavement, holding their drinks and looking both ways. However, there was a car parked on his left which was blocking his view so Jem leant forwards, listening for any car engines. As he trundled across the road, a car sped around the corner in his direction...

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I wanted to end the first chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger to try and tempt people to come back for the next one. I actually wrote this ages ago (before Chris even left) so thanks 'aphass' for giving me the inspiration to publish it properly otherwise it would have been forgotten about. Anyway, I'll have the next chapter up soon, but if anyone wants to put their own ideas in, I'll definitely take them on board. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	2. Chapter 2

_This follows directly on from the previous chapter, with a car speeding towards Jem._

* * *

Chris jumped off the bench that he was sat on as his brain registered the car zooming towards the young man, "Jem, look out!" he yelled

Jem glanced to his left to spot the car only a few metres away so he threw himself forwards out of his wheelchair and skidded on the pavement in front of Chris. The car hit the wheelchair violently as it stopped and the driver jumped out, having felt the collision.

Chris raced over to Jem and bent down to help him, "Are you ok?" he gasped

Jem sat up slightly, grimacing at the pain, "Yeah, I'm fine" he assured Chris, then glanced over to where his wheelchair lay, "It's my wheelchair I'm more worried about, that thing's expensive!"

The driver - a middle-aged man who was clearly distraught - rushed over to them, "I am **so** sorry, I honestly didn't see you there" he explained earnestly, "I'll pay for any damages and I'll take you to the Hospital so you can get checked out"

Jem shook his head, "I'll be fine, honestly" he replied, "I'm tougher than I look"

Chris looked doubtful, "Well you should go to the Hospital, just in case"

Jem sighed, "If it gets you to stop fussing, then fine"

The driver exhaled deeply, "Ok, let's get you in the car"

Chris and the driver put Jem's arms around them and lifted him up before carrying him to the car. Chris kicked the damaged drinks out of the way and grabbed the wheelchair from the middle of the road before clumsily folding it up and stowing it in the boot.

xxx

Chris paced the waiting room of the Hospital. He had never been here before, but he knew that this was where Lucy planned for the birth to be. Besides, with his history of accidents, it was likely that he'd be in there quite a lot as well, so he managed to get a good look around the place. Eventually a nurse emerged from Jem's room and Chris approached her.

"Hey, how's Jem?" he asked fervently

The nurse narrowed her eyes at him, "Are you related?"

Chris hesitated, "Uh, not really, but-"

"Sorry, I can only give out information to family members" she interrupted

Chris shook his head, "His family aren't around" he informed her, then paused before lying, "I'm his boyfriend"

The nurse stared at him for a moment and Chris hoped that he had been convincing. "I'll be back in a minute" she informed him, before returning to Jem's room.

Jem was slightly panicked that the nurse had returned so quickly and was unnerved by her suspicious expression, "There's a young man outside claiming to be your boyfriend" she told him

Jem was confused, but then realised what was going on and smiled slightly, "Send him in"

She nodded and left the room for a moment before Chris entered sheepishly.

Jem grinned at him, "So, you're my boyfriend?" he asked teasingly, "Did I get concussion or something because I'm sure we've only just met?"

Chris smiled coyly, "Well I wanted to know how you were and they're not allowed to give out information unless I'm connected to you somehow"

"Couldn't you have said that we were brothers or something?" he suggested

Chris gestured between them, "I don't really think they'd buy that" he replied, referring to their contrasting appearances and accents.

Jeremy nodded in agreement, "True"

"Well what's the problem?" he asked, then pause, "Unless you actually have a boyfriend"

Jeremy shook his head, "No, I'm single" he assured him, "Though according to you I'm not"

Chris put his hands up in a joking gesture of surrender, "Hey, if you don't want a fake boyfriend, we can always fake break up"

Jeremy shook his head, "Nah, the whole fake relationship thing is pretty cool"

Chris chuckled then remembered the reason for him being there, "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, thanks to you" Jem replied softly

Chris looked confused, "What did I do?"

"If you hadn't yelled at me, then I wouldn't have seen the car, then I wouldn't have jumped out of the wheelchair and I would be a lot worse off" Jem reminded him, "So thanks for… yelling at me, I guess"

Chris chuckled, "Any time"

Chris wanted to stay at the Hospital with Jem, who was being kept in overnight as a precaution. However, Jem has insisted that he go home as usual, before swapping mobile numbers with him and thoughtfully watching him leave.

xxx

At work, Chris couldn't stop thinking about the young man that he had met and felt an instant connection with. However, he didn't want to be in a relationship so soon after his break-up with Nate, and he didn't want Jem to be his rebound either. Chris was conflicted about what he should do, but threw himself into work to distract himself from having to think about his love-life.

A couple of days after Jem's accident, Chris was at work, sneakily scrolling through his mobile when he should have been sorting out a guest's booking on the computer. He had hoped that Jem would contact him to let him know when he was being discharged, but he hadn't heard from him at all. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Jem entering the hotel, carrying a bouquet of flowers.

Jem recognised him instantly but was confused, "Chris?"

Chris glanced up and immediately smiled upon seeing Jem opposite him, "Jem, Hi. You're out of Hospital"

Jem nodded, "Well yeah, it was just some cuts and bruises, not a coma"

Chris shrugged in agreement, "But what are you doing here?"

"I was wondering that about **you** " Jem commented, "I thought you're a mechanic"

Chris blinked at him blankly before realising that he had told Jem about working at a garage when they had first met, "No, I **used to** be" he corrected, "But I got injured and I had to give it up a while ago"

Jem frowned, "That's a shame, but it's quite a career change, isn't it? Working at a garage and now a hotel"

Chris considered this, "I guess, but I do enjoy it" he replied, "Anyway, I asked you first, what are you doing here?"

Jem waved the flowers in front of him, "I'm delivering these" he told him, "Though if I'd known that you work here, I would have brought another one"

Chris smiled coyly, "Who are they for? I can deliver them if you want"

Jem shook his head, "Actually, they're for the Manager"

Chris looked surprised, "Lucy?"

Jem nodded, "I found out that she's pregnant, so these are to say 'congratulations'"

"That's sweet" Chris replied hesitantly, "But I didn't know you guys were friends"

"I wouldn't go that far, but we're quite close" Jem shrugged, "Why, is that a problem?"

Chris shifted awkwardly, "Look, I wasn't really expecting to tell you this so soon, but I'm the father of Lucy's baby"

There was a pause before Jem blinked at him, "Well, I wasn't expecting that" he admitted and extended his arms that were holding the flowers, "Then I guess these are for you"

Chris took the flowers gratefully, "Thanks, I'll let Lucy know you said 'congratulations'"

Jem smiled briefly, slightly uncomfortable about the fact that Chris was the father of Lucy's baby. The idea was quite strange to him, and it started to change Jem's perception of Chris.

"Look, I'd better go" Jem began quietly, "But I'll see you around"

Realising that Jem felt uncomfortable, Chris wanted to reassure him but wasn't sure how. Instead he just nodded and quietly said 'goodbye' before Jeremy wheeled himself out of the hotel. Chris watched after him regretfully, then glanced down at the flowers before heading off to put them in some water.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I hope everyone's enjoying this so far,_ and _I'll have the next chapter up soon. Apologies to Tori, who gave me a great suggestion for this chapter, though I'd already written it beforehand: thanks for the idea, but it would have meant a massive re-write if I had gone along with it (though there will be plenty of opportunities later for you to give more ideas, so please do!), and also because Chris has been injured far too many times on the show. Anyway, as previously mentioned, if anyone wants to put their own ideas in, I'll definitely take them on board. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for the support that you guys are showing towards this story so far. This chapter continues from where the previous one ended._

* * *

Lucy was pleasantly surprised when Chris carefully placed the bouquet of flowers on the coffee table opposite her.

"They're lovely" she exclaimed as she leant towards them, then looked up at Chris with a worried expression, "What have you done?" she asked cautiously

Chris laughed, "Nothing, they're not from me" he replied, "They're from Jem"

Lucy glanced at him quizzically, "'Jem?' You mean Jeremy Simmons?"

Chris nodded, "He heard about the pregnancy and wanted to congratulate you"

Lucy smiled, "That's really thoughtful"

Chris nodded in agreement and there was a pause before he asked, "How do you know him?"

"Well he lives around here but he's been touring the states promoting wheelchair basketball" she told him, "Lassiter's has been endorsing him and we let him use one of our halls for his lessons"

Chris smiled thoughtfully, "That's great"

Lucy nodded in agreement, "You're still into basketball, aren't you? You should go to one of his lessons" she suggested excitedly, "They're every Wednesday evening in Conference Room 2"

Chris shook his head dismissively and Lucy raised an eyebrow, "Why not?" she questioned, "You need to go and enjoy yourself before the baby comes along. Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't"

"I'm happy with you, and I'll be happy once the baby's born" Chris informed her, feeling hesitant about facing Jem after their run-in earlier on.

"Chris, you're young, you need to be interacting with other young people. And no, your baby does not count as a 'young person'" she pointed out, "I'm twenty years older than you, your child will be twenty years younger than you. That's not an appropriate age gap to have between people that you interact with"

Chris chuckled and Lucy continued, "You never know, you might just meet that special someone"

Chris shook his head, "I thought I had" he muttered

Lucy looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"I already knew Jem before he gave me those flowers for you" he admitted, "We met a couple of days ago and hit it off, but now it's gone wrong"

"Gone wrong how?" she questioned

"I told him that I was the father of your child, and he couldn't get away quick enough" Chris replied

Lucy pulled a face, "Ok, so not the best start" she joked, "But if you go along to his lesson then it'll be showing him that there are no hard feelings between you"

Chris considered this, "I guess I could give it a try" he murmured, which caused Lucy to grin in satisfaction.

xxx

Jeremy was surprised – and a combination of pleased and uncomfortable – to see Chris arrive at his class. He was unsure how he was supposed to act around him, but realised that he had to treat him in the same way that he would treat any of his students, so he smiled at Chris as he approached.

"Hey" Chris greeted hesitantly, "Is it ok for me to be here?"

Jem scoffed, "Well you work here too" he pointed out

Chris chuckled, "I know, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me"

Jem shrugged, "To be honest, the class isn't exactly teeming with participants, even with the offer of the first class being free" he replied dryly, "So yes, I'm glad you're here"

Chris smiled and allowed Jem to lead him into the hall, hesitant about what would happen during and after the class.

xxx

After the session had ended, Jem watched Chris, who had parked his wheelchair with the others and was stretching. The other participants waved to him as they left and Jem waited until they had moved off before approaching Chris.

"Hey" Jem began, "How was it?"

Chris exhaled, "It was pretty intense" he replied, "Trying to steer the chair whilst using the basketball skills is not as easy as it looks"

Jem shook his head, "You did pretty well for a first lesson, considering you've never been in a wheelchair before"

Chris pulled a face, "Actually, I have been in a wheelchair briefly" he admitted, "But not in the same way, obviously"

Jem nodded in understanding, realising that there was some kind of story there that was too personal to ask Chris about, "So do you think you'll come back next week?"

Chris nodded eagerly, "Definitely, I loved it"

Jem beamed at Chris' enthusiasm and the young man continued, "I forgot about the rush that you get when you play, that adrenaline. It makes me wonder why I gave it up in the first place"

Jem gazed at him thoughtfully and there was a lingering pause before he cleared his throat, "Look, I'm really sorry about how I reacted the other day about Lucy and the baby thing"

Chris shook his head, "Don't worry about it, I know it's kind of full-on. Trust me, I was freaked out too at first"

Jem still looked sheepish, "It still doesn't excuse me being rude and rushing off like I did" he argued, "How about I make it up to you?"

Chris grinned wickedly, "What do you have in mind?"

Jem smiled, "Well I think I've already mentioned that I'm pretty nifty when it comes to cooking, so how about I make us dinner sometime?"

Chris was pleasantly surprised, "Like a date?" he asked cautiously

Still smiling, Jem nodded, "If that's ok with you"

Chris beamed, "Yeah, that sounds awesome"

"Cool" Jem replied, "How about tomorrow at seven?"

Chris nodded, "Sure, that works for me"

"Ok, I'll text you with the details" Jem replied happily, "See you tomorrow"

"Yeah, see you" Chris responded, and watched Jem leave again. Unlike last time, however, Chris wasn't watching him with regret. Instead, he was watching him with happiness, excitement and hope.

xxx

"Ooh, you got a hot date?" Lucy cooed as Chris emerged from his bedroom, wearing a smart shirt and jeans, with his hair styled neatly.

Chris raised any eyebrow, "How did you guess?"

"Because I think that's the most effort I've ever seen you put into your appearance the whole time we've known each other" Lucy replied

Chris looked confused, "Uh, thanks I guess" he responded uncertainly, wondering whether that was a compliment or an insult.

"It's Jem that you're going on your date with, isn't it?" Lucy enquired knowlingly

Chris held back a smile as he checked himself in the mirror, "Maybe, maybe not"

Lucy chuckled, "You're really into him, aren't you?"

Chris shrugged as his smile became more obvious, "How can you tell?"

"Well that smug little grin on your adorable freckled face kind of gives it away" Lucy retorted

Chris sniggered before looking more serious, "I just don't want to mess this up" he murmured

Lucy shook her head, "You won't" she assured him, "Just don't mention the 'L' word and you'll be fine"

Chris raised an eyebrow and wandered over to the coffee table, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell him I **love** him on our first date" he assured her as he picked up his keys, phone and wallet.

Lucy shook her head again, "No, not **that** 'L' word" she corrected, "'I meant 'Lucy'. You said that he freaked out when he found out you were the father of my baby, so just don't mention me and the night should go smoothly"

Chris considered this as he put his items in his pockets, "Well we kind of agreed to put that behind us, so hopefully that won't be an issue. Besides, there's plenty for us to talk about aside from the baby"

Lucy nodded in agreement, but was slightly worried about what the future had in store for all of them if Chris was involved in a new relationship with a baby on the way.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be up in due course!_ _Anyway - as previously mentioned - if anyone wants to put their own ideas in, I'll definitely take them on board. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	4. Chapter 4

_This chapter continues from where the previous one ended with Chris heading over to Jem's home for their date._

* * *

Once Chris had arrived at the flat, Jem buzzed him in and met Chris in the entrance. He handed Jem a bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which Lucy had recommended that he buy just before he left.

"Wow" Jem exclaimed as he took it and read the label, "This is my favourite, how did you know?"

"Lucy told me" Chris replied, then inwardly kicked himself for already mentioning the 'L' word within ten seconds of arriving, "I had to take her word for it, I don't even know how to pronounce it, let alone what it's like"

Jem laughed, "Well it's delicious" he told him, then gestured for him to follow, "Come in"

Chris followed Jem into his home. It was only on one floor (not that Chris was surprised considering that Jem was in a wheelchair), but it was modern, clean and rather homely with a small table in the centre of the living room area laid neatly.

Chris smiled, "Wow, what a cool place you've got"

Jem smiled, "Thanks. It doesn't normally look like this though" he replied, "My brother and I aren't exactly the kind of guys who clean up after themselves all the time"

Chris looked surprised, "Your brother lives with you?"

Jem nodded, "Well, if by 'lives with' you mean 'scrounges off', then yes - Zach 'lives with' me"

Chris scoffed, "What a lovely brother you are" he remarked sarcastically, then looked curious, "Is he around? It'd be great to meet him"

Jem pulled a face, "Actually, I may or may not have paid him some money to stay out for the evening"

Chris chuckled, "Why, is scarily overprotective of you?"

Jem shook his head, "Not exactly" he began, "I just didn't want him to freak you out or scare you off"

"He can't be that bad" Chris insisted, "If he's anything like you I'm sure we'll get along just fine"

Jem shifted uncomfortably, "He's not, that's the problem" he replied slowly, "Zach's got Asperger's syndrome, and that can be quite difficult to handle"

Chris nodded in understanding, "Well I appreciate the thought, but your brother shouldn't be the deal-breaker here" he pointed, "I'm dating **you** , not your brother"

Jem was taken aback and Chris realised what he had said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to assume that we're dating" he apologised hastily, "I meant 'on a **date** '"

Jem actually liked the idea of exclusively dating Chris so he shook his head and blushed slightly, "No, it's fine" he assured him, then cleared his throat, "Anyway, I think dinner's nearly ready, I'll go and dish it up. Make yourself at home"

Chris nodded and watched Jem hurry into the kitchen. Chris studied the room as he wandered around. He noticed a framed photograph of Jem next to a man who looked a few years younger than him. Chris assumed that the other young man was his brother, Zach, but he didn't notice anything unusual about him that would hint at a disorder. However, Chris knew through previous research that Asperger's syndrome wasn't a physical disorder, it was a mental one and was completely invisible. Scanning the room again, Chris noticed a guitar sitting by the television and smiled as he approached it. Jem emerged from the kitchen, carrying a couple of plates full of food.

He noticed Chris staring at the guitar and smiled, "Do you play?"

Chris glanced up at him in surprise and shrugged, "A bit, yeah. What about you?"

Jem shook his head, "No, that's Zach's talent" he replied, "I'm pretty good at Guitar Hero though, if that counts"

Chris considered this, "Sure, we'll say that counts" he replied flippantly

Jem chuckled before gently commanding, "Well sit down, dinner's ready"

Chris smiled politely and sat down opposite Jem, who had opened the bottle of wine and was filling their glasses. Chris watched him carefully, beginning to get curious about the rest of Jem's family. Jem caught his eye and smiled coyly, which caused Chris to feel butterflies in his stomach: a feeling that he had not experienced in a long time, and one that he had thought he would never experience again.

xxx

"So, have you thought about baby names yet?" Jem asked casually, breaking the silence that had been filled with cutlery tapping against the plates as they hungrily ate Jem's tasty food.

Chris almost choked on his delicious steak, "What?" he coughed

"Names for the baby" Jem repeated

Chris narrowed his eyes at him, "You don't have to do this, you know"

Jem blinked at him, "Do what?"

"Pretending to be interested in the baby" Chris replied, "It's still early days, and I don't want to waste this opportunity to get to know each other by discussing my unborn child"

Jem shrugged, "Is it so wrong to show an interest?" he argued, "I **know** it's early days, and we don't know where things are gonna lead, but I want to show you that I'm sorry for freaking out about it, and that I like the idea of you helping Lucy have a baby, I know how passionate she was about it"

Chris smiled, "Thanks" he replied sheepishly before taking a sip of his drink.

After a pause, Jem looked at him expectantly, "So come on, any ideas for names yet?"

Chris considered this, "Well we don't know whether it's a boy or girl" he replied before hesitating, "I was actually thinking about it recently because last week was the anniversary of my friend Kate's death"

Jem looked surprised, "Oh, I'm sorry" he apologised softly

Chris shook his head dismissively, "Don't be. I just can't believe it's been a year. You know, in some ways it feels like a lifetime ago because so much has happened since, but I can still remember it as if it was yesterday"

Jem nodded in understanding, "How did it happen?" he asked hesitantly, worried that it might be an upsetting topic for Chris to discuss

"She was shot" Chris replied, then sighed, "It was the most tragic thing ever, she had just got engaged and she was happier than she had ever been before. Then 'bang', she was gone"

There was a long silence before Chris suddenly glanced at Jem, "Sorry, I'm turning this into the most depressing first date ever, aren't I?"

Jem shook his head, "No, you're not" he argued weakly

Chris looked at him disbelievingly and Jem sighed, "Ok, yes you are" he admitted

Chris scoffed, "Anyway, to answer your question, yes – if it's a girl I'd like to name her Katherine or Katie in memory of Kate" he paused, "But no matter what, I'd like it to be a name that means something to me and Lucy, something special"

Jem smiled, "That's really sweet" he commented softly and Chris smiled bashfully at Jem before returning to his food. Jem watched Chris for a few more moments, realising how thoughtful the other man was and inwardly scolding himself for almost letting this guy slip through his fingers just because he couldn't deal with Chris helping his friend to have a baby.

xxx

"Thanks for the lovely meal" Chris began as he stood up to leave

"It was no problem" Jem replied dismissively, "We should do it again sometime"

Chris nodded eagerly, "Definitely. Either way, I'll see you at the class next Wednesday"

Jem nodded, "Good point" he agreed, "I'll see you then"

There was a pause as neither of them knew what they should do next. More than anything, they both felt an urge to kiss the other person but Chris was concerned about the height difference between himself and Jem. However, he realised that kissing him would be like kissing any of his previous boyfriends whilst they were sitting down, so he leant down to place a gentle kiss on Jem's lips. To his surprise, Jem kissed him back eagerly and placed a hand on Chris' cheek to hold him in place as the kiss grew more heated. After a few moments Jem pulled away before breathlessly suggesting, "Do you want to stay the night?"

Chris immediately panicked and stepped away from him, "Uh, actually I've got to work early tomorrow so I should probably head off" he babbled

Jem nodded in understanding, "Ok, well I'll see you soon then" he replied optimistically, not realising Chris' discomfort

Chris nodded in agreement before hurrying out of the flat, mentally kicking himself for his reaction. He hadn't meant to leave in such a hurry, but the reality of having a relationship with someone in a wheelchair had suddenly dawned on him, and Chris wasn't entirely sure whether he was ready for that yet.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be up in due course! When I first wrote this a few months ago, I didn't know the baby was going to be called 'Anne', so I went along with 'Kate' instead - that's why the reference to Kate was there - and didn't want to delete that whole section._ _Anyway, as previously mentioned, if anyone wants to put their own ideas in, I'll definitely take them on board (especially now that the story is progressing). In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	5. Chapter 5

_This chapter is set immediately after the previous one, with Chris returning to Lucy's home after rushing from Jem's._

* * *

Lucy was lounging on the sofa, eating chocolate spread from the jar with a spoon. She hadn't realised until now just how anxious she was about Chris' involvement in the baby's life. After what had happened with Nate, Chris getting into another relationship with a baby on the way may end up causing more harm than good. Although she knew Jem quite well and knew that he didn't have any issues when it came to children, she wasn't sure what sort of role he would play in the baby's life, if he even had a role at all. She just didn't want to see either of them heartbroken, especially after the near-misses that they had already experienced. Lucy was taken out of her trance by Chris trudging into the living room and running his hands through his hair.

"Hey, how did it go?" Lucy asked in concern for her friend

Chris sighed, "It was great, until I went and stuffed everything up"

Lucy looked surprised, "Wow, you guys haven't done very well so far, have you?" she joked, "What happened?"

"He asked me to stay the night, but I freaked out and took off" he replied irritably

"Why?" Lucy questioned

Chris paused, "As much as I hate to admit it, him being in a wheelchair just got to me"

Lucy was taken aback and Chris exhaled, "I know, I'm a terrible person and I hate how I reacted. The thing is, how he ended up in a wheelchair was the one of the first things that we ever talked about, so I didn't think it would be the elephant in the room"

Lucy considered this, "Yeah, but there's a difference between him telling you how he ended up in there, and dealing with how it affects your relationship"

"But that's the point" Chris argued, "It's not supposed to affect it"

Lucy shook her head, "But clearly it has, so you need to tackle this head-on and deal with it properly, otherwise this relationship is going to be over before it's even begun"

Chris nodded thoughtfully but was conflicted as to what he was supposed to do to fix things. However, taking Lucy's advice into consideration, he realised that he needed to get his feelings out in the open if there was any chance of a relationship with the man that he couldn't get out of his head.

xxx

Although it was quite late, Chris returned to Jem's flat later in the evening to explain himself and make amends. He was surprised when the door opened to reveal the young man from the photo that Chris had seen earlier on.

"Oh, hey" Chris greeted, "You're Zach, right?"

Zach narrowed his eyes, "Yeah, who are you?"

"I'm Chris" he replied nervously

Zach nodded, "Ah, the boyfriend" he realised and stood to the side, "Come in"

Smiling politely, Chris entered and Zach watched him suspiciously. Jem wheeled himself into the living room from the kitchen, carrying a bottle of water as if he was about to go to bed. Glancing up, he was pleasantly surprised to see Chris in front of him.

"Hey" he greeted cautiously, "What are you doing back? I thought you had to work early tomorrow"

Chris shook his head awkwardly and Jem was confused, "Did you forget something?"

"You could say that" Chris murmured before glancing at Zach, "Do you mind if we talk in private?"

Zach shrugged, "That would work if you were somewhere private" he pointed out

Jem shook his head, "Zach, please go to your room so that Chris and I can talk" he instructed his brother slowly

Zach snorted, "Fine" he replied in exasperation before walking off.

The two young men stood in silence for a few moments before Jem asked, "So, what's up?"

Chris swallowed, "Look, I didn't want to leave things the way that they were earlier, so-"

Jem looked puzzled and interrupted him, "Hang on, what way? You told me you had to be at work early tomorrow so you left"

Chris shook his head, "I lied" he revealed, "I panicked when you asked me to stay over, and work was the first excuse I could think of"

"You panicked?" Jem repeated, then sighed, "I was too forward when I invited you to stay over on our first date, wasn't I?"

"No, that's not what it was" Chris assured him fervently

"Then what was it?" he questioned

Chris hesitated before admitting, "It's your wheelchair"

There was a pause as Jem realised what Chris meant, "Oh" he breathed in disappointment

Chris hung his head in shame, "I'm sorry"

Jem shook his head, "Don't worry about it" he reassured him, "You're not the first guy who's had a problem with it"

"I wish I didn't" Chris breathed

Jem nodded, "I know, but I understand that it's difficult to get your head around" he assured Chris, "I'm not sure what I can say to make it easier for you. After all, I've been in a wheelchair almost all my life and never had to learn to adapt, it's the other guys who have had to adapt to me"

Chris nodded, "It's the 'adapting' part I'm worried about it"

Jem shook his head, "It's ok" he reassured him, then smirked, "Though according to the guys I've been with, it's not **that much** different with me"

Chris chuckled briefly but then looked worried, "It's not just that though" he continued, "It's everything else as well"

"Like what?" Jem asked, unsure whether he really wanted to hear Chris' response

"The support, all the equipment you need" Chris pointed out, gesturing around the room, "I don't want to sound selfish but I don't want to string you along either, I just don't know if I can deal with **that** on top of getting over my ex and preparing for the baby-"

"Hang on, your ex?" Jem interjected in confusion, having not heard about any of Chris' exes before

Chris nodded slowly, "I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, Nate, the day before I came here" he revealed, "Actually, I probably wouldn't be here now if we hadn't broken up"

"Was it to do with the baby?" he asked gently

Chris nodded, "I knew from day one that he wasn't really on board with it and we compromised as much as we could, but it got to the point where we couldn't compromise anymore"

Jem nodded in understanding, "I'm sorry it didn't work out between you two, but you know **I'm** ok with it, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do" Chris assured him, "I'm just not sure if **I'm** ok with **this** "

Jem was slightly offended, "You mean me? I am pretty independent, I don't need a carer or anything, you know"

Chris shook his head fervently, "No. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that"

Jem stared at him and realised that Chris was flustered, "Look, I know it's not easy but this wheelchair is only a small part of who I am, it shouldn't affect **us** "

Chris nodded, "I know, and I'm sorry for freaking out" he replied, "I do want to get to know you - all of you"

"Me too" Jem agreed gently, "I want to see where this goes so I'm happy to take things slow as long as you are, if you're willing to try to look past the wheelchair"

Chris nodded happily, "Yeah, I will"

Jem and Chris smiled at each other for a few moments before Chris glanced at his watch.

"Actually, I should probably head off" Chris began reluctantly, "I don't have to work early tomorrow but it's getting late"

Jem nodded reluctantly, "Well, have a good night" he replied slowly

Chris nodded, "You too" he whispered before bending down to capture his lips in a lingering kiss with the hidden promise of more.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be up in due course! Anyway - as previously mentioned - if anyone wants to put their own ideas in, I'll definitely take them on board. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter starts a few days after Chris' date with Jem._

* * *

Natasha tried to hide her grin as Chris gushed about Jem. Considering how heartbroken Chris had been a few weeks earlier about his break-up with Nate as well as leaving his friends and family in Australia to move to America, it was almost hilarious how enthusiastic he was now.

As Chris paused to take a breath after what felt like ages of him rambling, he noticed Tash's strange expression, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head dismissively, "Nothing"

Chris narrowed his eyes at her, "Then why are you staring at me like that?"

Tash chuckled, "I'd forgotten how endearing you can be when you fancy someone" she admitted

"Really?" Chris questioned, blushing slightly

Tash nodded, "I remember you acting like this when you and Aidan first got together" she reminded him, "And I remember you calling me and talking to me for **hours** when you started dating Hudson and then Nate"

Tash frowned as she noticed Chris' face fall slightly, "Sorry, that was really insensitive of me to bring them into conversation"

Chris shook his head, "It's fine, seriously" he assured her, "I've moved on"

Tash grinned, "I can see that"

Chris sniggered, "You know, there's no better feeling than that rush you get when you're really into someone" he murmured

Tash nodded in understanding. She had felt the same way about Andrew back when they first met. Although she had been using him to annoy her dad at the time, she really did care about him and she loved the excitement of dating a guy like him. That's why she had tried so hard to keep their relationship going, leading her to do things (such as lying about being pregnant to stop him from leaving her in favour of Summer) that she still regretted deeply to this very day.

Chris suddenly looked thoughtful, "I just hope it's not too soon" he murmured, thinking back to the conversation that he'd had with Jem after their first date

"What do you mean?" Tash questioned in confusion

"Well it's only been a few weeks since Nate and I broke up" Chris began, "I really like Jem but I'm not sure that I'm ready for a serious relationship yet"

"Well didn't you say that you and Jem agreed to take it slow?" Tash recalled, "Even if you're not sure right now, he's giving you time to figure out what you really want"

Chris held her gaze thoughtfully, "I can't believe that you're giving me advice like this, considering your track record"

Tash looked offended, "Hey! I do know a thing or two about relationships, I've had to learn from my mistakes"

Chris shrugged, "Who'd have thought that out of the both of us, you'd be the one to maintain a functioning relationship for over two years?"

Tash grinned smugly, "Well when you're as awesome a partner as I am, it's hardly surprising"

Chris laughed, "How Andrew's managed to put up with you for so long is beyond me" he joked

"And me" Andrew remarked as he entered the room and set himself down next to Chris, "So what's up mate?"

Tash pulled a face to try to silently warn Andrew not to encourage him, but it was too late. Chris launched straight into his story about Jem, much to the amusement of the blond man next to him and the annoyance of Natasha, who was hearing it all over again almost word-for-word. However, she was glad that Chris was smiling for the first time since he had arrived in New York, and hoped that he would be able to juggle his situation with Lucy and his relationship with Jem without too many issues down the track.

xxx

Chris smiled softly as he read the text from Jem wishing him the best for Lucy's scan. Chris had told Jem about the baby possibly having spinal muscular atrophy after explaining to him at the end of the last basketball session that Lucy was due a scan to check on the baby. Lucy was tapping her feet impatiently as she sat beside Chris in the waiting room and was sneaking looks at Chris' phone.

"Ah, that's nice of him" she murmured

Chris looked confused, "What?" he asked, not realising that she had been peering over his shoulder

"The text from Jem" she replied

"You can't read other people's texts!" Chris hissed as he turned his mobile away

Lucy shrugged, "Sorry, I'm just a bit on edge"

"Oh, really?" Chris mumbled sarcastically before nodding to the table full of reading materials in front of them, "Read a magazine or something"

Lucy sighed as she reached over to take a magazine from the top of one of the piles. Just as she had opened it and began to read, she and Chris were called in for their appointment.

"So much for that" Lucy grumbled as she returned her magazine and stood up. Chris chuckled as he followed her in, though he suddenly grew more nervous about what was going to happen once they were in the room.

xxx

Because Chris and Lucy were carriers of the spinal muscular atrophy gene, the nurse had to check whether or not their baby would have it by carrying out chorionic villus sampling. Although it took less than fifteen minutes to complete, they were the most excruciating fifteen minutes that Chris and Lucy had experienced in a long time, and even after the procedure they would have to wait a few more days to find out the results. In the meantime, since Lucy was just over 14 weeks into her pregnancy, she and Chris were offered the option of finding out the baby's sex.

They glanced at each other uncertainly and Chris shrugged, "Well you're the mum, what do you want to do?"

Lucy raised her eyebrows, "You're the dad, you should have an equal say" she pointed out

"Yeah, but you're the one carrying the little bean" Chris argued lightly, "And you've just had a needle inserted into your stomach, so I think you deserve to make this decision"

Lucy chuckled, "But it would be unfair for one of us to know if the other doesn't want to"

"So you **do** want to know?" Chris clarified

Lucy nodded, "I think it would be easier if we did" she replied, "We'd be able to buy clothes in blue or pink and decorate the nursery-"

Chris was taken aback, "Wow, talk about gender stereotyping!" he exclaimed

Lucy shook her head, "Sorry, that was old-fashioned of me" she apologised, "But what do you want?"

Chris shrugged, "I'd like to know as well, it would definitely be more useful to know now, and I don't think I could wait until the end of the year to find out"

"Me neither" Lucy agreed, then glanced at the nurse, "So yeah, we'd like to know"

The nurse couldn't hold back the chuckle at their conversation, a conversation which she had heard several versions of as a result of the job. She checked the information from the scan, "Well congratulations, you're having a girl"

Lucy and Chris grinned at each other in delight, "That's amazing!" Lucy breathed

"Well it would have been amazing no matter what" Chris pointed out

Lucy nodded, "True" she agreed before letting out a breath as the nurse finished up, "Wow, it feels really real now that we know"

Chris squeezed her hand, "Yeah, it does" he exhaled and gazed at the image of their baby on the monitor, as if trying to imprint it in his mind forever.

xxx

"I know it's a bit premature but should we start thinking about names now that we know we're having a girl?" Chris asked as he and Lucy sat down on the couch.

Lucy smiled, "You know, I was just about to suggest the same thing" she revealed

Chris was pleasantly surprised, "Really? Any ideas yet?"

Lucy nodded, "Well I really want to name her after my mother, Anne" she replied thoughtfully

Chris smiled softly, "That's a great idea" he replied, knowing how important it was to Lucy to use her late mother's name, perhaps as a way of letting her memory live on.

Lucy nudged him gently, "But what about you?" she asked

Chris shrugged, "I was thinking of something like 'Katherine' or 'Katie' after Kate" he told her, remembering his conversation about baby names that he'd had on his first date with Jem

Lucy's eyes lit up, "Oh, that's lovely!" she exclaimed, genuinely loving the idea of using the names of family members who were taken from the world way too soon.

"So what about Anne Katherine Robinson-Pappas?" Chris suggested

Lucy nodded, "I like the sound of that" she hummed

"Me too" Chris agreed as he sank into the sofa next to her and allowed a comfortable silence to fall upon them

Lucy let out a deep breath as she rubbed her bump which was just beginning to show, "I'm really nervous about the results of the CVS" she admitted quietly

"So am I" Chris agreed and turned to look at her, "But no matter what the result is, we deal with it together and we don't let it affect how we feel about little Annie, right?"

Lucy nodded and pinched Chris' cheek fondly, "You already sound like a dad" she chuckled, liking the way that Chris was already giving their child cute nicknames

Chris pulled a face, "I know, it's kind of scary!" he whispered and set a hand on Lucy's bump, "It'll be ok" he reassured her and the baby (and himself). Inwardly, he was more terrified than he could admit, but he knew that he would stick to his word about the results: he had to be strong, now more than ever.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Now the story is at the point where the readers need to dictate where it goes from here, so thanks for the suggestions so far: as you can see I'm working them in as I go along. I wasn't sure about the baby's name (we probably won't ever find out Anne's middle name) so I've stuck with the original 'Kate' theme for this - though the full name doesn't flow very well, but never mind. As always, I'm happy to consider any suggestions, and_ _reviews are always welcome!_


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter is set in mid-April: a couple of days after the end of the previous chapter._

* * *

"Are you sure that you're ok with this?" Chris questioned as he slipped his shoes on

Lucy rolled her eyes, "I was the one who suggested it, remember?"

She was right. After two days of sitting around waiting for the results of the chorionic villus sampling, Chris and Lucy both realised that they had to do something to take their minds off of it. So Lucy had insisted that Chris and Jem go on a double date with Tash and Andrew, though Chris was still feeling uncertain.

"But what about you?" Chris asked

"I'm meeting up with some friends, we're going to watch some reality TV and eat a load of junk food" she replied, then noticed Chris' disapproving expression and sighed, "I mean, eat a load of fruit and veg"

Chris nodded, "Yeah, I hope so" he murmured, "But remember to call me if the Hospital contacts you"

Lucy nodded, "Yes, I will" she agreed, "Now go and have a good time"

Chris smiled and kissed her cheek, "I will, thank you"

Lucy swatted him away playfully, but watched after him worriedly once he had left. She had been lying about meeting up with friends: Lucy was way too anxious to do anything other than sit by the phone, so that was her plan for the rest of the day.

xxx

Jem was entertained by Tash and Andrew's stories of Chris over the years. The couple were pleased to divulge into any tales that they could remember, claiming that it was better that Jem heard all of the worst stories sooner rather than later to prevent any issues or big revelations further down the track. Through Chris' friends, Jem learnt quite a lot about him, such as Chris' coming out experience (including his relationship with Summer and his crush on Andrew), his and Andrew's failed business venture involving restoring and selling old cars, as well as the car accident that many of his friends had been involved in. Although some of the experiences were still difficult for Chris to relive, he was barely paying attention to the conversation. Instead, Chris had been tapping his feet against the floor, checking his mobile intermittently and glancing around uneasily, which had started to exasperate everyone else at the table, who were trying to enjoy their meal and discussion.

Eventually, Tash reached across the table to cover his hand with one of hers, "Chris, we get that you're anxious, but what you're doing is kind of annoying"

Chris glanced away sheepishly, "Sorry, I've just never been so distracted on a date before" he apologised

"It's a 'double date' actually" Tash corrected

"You know what I mean" Chris argued, "It's just that Lucy and I knew there was a chance that Annie could have spinal muscular atrophy, and we've prepared for it. But the reality of her actually having it is a whole other story"

"Hang on, Annie?" Andrew interjected, having not heard the baby's name before

Chris nodded, "We found out that we're having a girl, so we're naming her Anne Katherine Robinson-Pappas"

"Wow, that's really nice" Jem added

"And here was me thinking you'd name her after your favourite person in the whole wide world" Tash huffed

Chris chuckled, "Well that was over three years ago, things change"

Jem looked confused, "I'm sensing a story here"

Chris nodded, "At the beginning of 2012 I ended up in Hospital after being beaten up, and let's just say that the painkillers they gave me were a bit too strong"

Andrew scoffed, "That's an understatement" he argued, "I'd never seen Chris so relaxed before, or so honest"

Chris glanced down at the table, "Yeah, I was a bit over-the-top"

Tash nodded, "He said that Summer and Andrew were his third and fourth favourite people in the world – though he didn't specify which one was which – and that I was his first favourite"

Chris pulled a face at her, "In that case, I think it needs an update"

Jem sniggered, "Am I going to be anywhere on this new list?"

Chris nodded, "Well since Tash was the one who decided to bring this whole thing up, I think I'll put you in first to replace her"

Jem smiled and kissed his cheek whilst Tash frowned, "No, nobody replaces Natasha Williams" she argued

Chris grinned, "I think I just did"

Andre laughed, "Well at least it distracted you for a few minutes" he pointed out

Chris nodded, "Yeah, it did. Thanks" he agreed, before returning to his food. Suddenly his mobile buzzed next to his plate and Chris grabbed it immediately, thinking that it was Lucy contacting him.

"What is it?" Jem asked worriedly

Chris sighed as he returned his mobile to the table, "It was mum, asking if I needed any more stuff from home"

"Hang on, you didn't take it all with you?" Jem questioned

Chris shook his head, "No, I only took a few weeks' worth of stuff" he replied

"Why?" Jem asked in confusion, "I thought you moved here permanently"

Chris shifted uncomfortably, "Actually, I only came here to get some space from my ex, and to help Lucy set up for the baby" he admitted, "In fact, I should have gone home a few weeks ago"

Jem was quite hurt by this revelation. If he'd had known that Chris was only planning on being in America for a few weeks, he wouldn't have let himself get as invested in their relationship as he had done already. Although Tash wasn't an expert on body language, she sensed Jem's anxiety and made a mental note to warn Chris about it at the first opportunity. Jem kept his feelings to himself and tried to brush them aside as Andrew moved the conversation onto Chris' apprenticeship at Fitzgerald Motors. However, he was filled with dread at the thought of the future: he could almost picture himself with Chris for a while yet, but if Chris wasn't planning on staying in New York then what would that mean for their relationship?

xxx

Jem slammed the front door behind him as he wheeled inside. Zach glanced up from where he was lounging on the sofa and looked at him quizzically.

"Where were you?" he asked

Jem sighed, "I was on a double-date with Chris, Tash and Andrew"

"How did it go?" Zach asked innocently

Jem almost snapped at him sarcastically, but knew that he couldn't because Zach genuinely didn't understand that he was annoyed. In some ways, it was irritating because he always had to be honest with him, but he also appreciated having such an open relationship with his brother.

"Not well" he admitted

Zac stood up, "What happened?"

"Apparently Chris doesn't have plans to stay here in the long-term" he revealed

"You mean he wants to go back to Australia?" Zach clarified as he stood in front of his older brother

Jem shrugged, "He didn't really say, the conversation was dropped as quickly as it started"

"Then how do you know?" Zach pointed out, "If he didn't actually say that he wanted to go home then why do you think he does?"

"It was the way he was acting" Jem replied carefully, "He's only in New York to help Lucy set up for the baby, but he was supposed to go home weeks ago"

"He was **supposed** to?" Zach repeated, "Then why didn't he?"

"Because he was busy" Jem guessed

"Busy with you?" Zach clarified

Jem considered this: the timing matched up as they had met a few weeks earlier, so perhaps Chris had held off from going back home to give their relationship a try. But if that was the case, then why didn't Chris just tell him when they first met? That kind of secret changed a lot of things in their relationship, and Jem wasn't sure what the future held for them - if they even had a future at all.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	8. Chapter 8

_This chapter is set immediately after the end of the previous chapter._

* * *

Tash had insisted that she would meet Andrew back at home after their date and had walked with Chris back to where he lived. Although he had enjoyed his afternoon with Jem and his friends, Chris had to cut the date short in his anxiety to find out the result of the chorionic villus sampling. They were both surprised to find Lucy pacing the living room, having assumed that she would still be out.

"Hey" Chris greeted in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Lucy stopped moving abruptly, "Oh, I wasn't expecting you to get back so soon" she mumbled absent-mindedly

"I could say the same for you" Chris began as he folded his arms, "I thought you went out with your friends"

"Yeah, I decided to give that a miss" Lucy admitted sheepishly

"Why?" Chris questioned, "You said that we needed the distraction"

Lucy shrugged, "Well I was too distrac **ted** to go out"

Tash nudged Chris, "In that case, you **both** should have stayed in" she huffed

"Why?" Lucy questioned, "What happened?"

Tash nodded at Chris, "Freckles here spent more time on his phone than he spent talking to us"

Lucy looked outraged, "Chris!" she cried

Chris shook his head and pointed an accusatory finger towards her, "Hey, you don't have the right to be annoyed at me" he pointed out, "At least I actually kept to my word of going out"

"Fine" she grudgingly agreed, "It turned out to be a waste anyway, they still haven't got back to us"

Chris groaned, "How long is this going to take?"

"Can't you just ring them?" Tash questioned

"We have, at least once a day since the procedure" Lucy replied, "I think they're so annoyed at us for checking up on them that they're holding off on giving us the results as some kind of sick revenge or something"

Tash blinked, "Wow, you've had way too much time on your hands if you've managed to come to that conclusion"

"Well I have, unfortunately" Lucy shrugged, "But anyway, how did your double-date go?"

"It was great until this one decided to announce that he's planning to go back to Australia" Tash retorted

"I didn't 'announce' it" Chris argued, "It just came up in conversation thanks to my mum"

Tash nodded, "Yeah, but either way you upset Jem"

Chris sighed, "I know, and I wish I hadn't said anything at all now"

Lucy looked confused, "What do you mean you upset Jem?"

"I hadn't told him that I wasn't planning on staying here full-time" Chris began, "But I was so distracted by waiting for the results that I didn't want to complicate things any more so I just dismissed how upset he looked"

"Wow, smooth" Lucy replied sarcastically

Chris hung his head, "I know, I'm an idiot"

Tash prodded him "So what are you going to do about it?"

Chris shrugged, "Grovel, maybe"

"That's a plan" Tash replied, "But maybe think about why you're going home. I mean, how long are you planning to go back for? When are you coming back **here**? You've got to figure this out before you can do anything else"

Chris considered this, "Yeah, I guess"

"So what do you want to do?" Lucy asked

Before Chris even had a chance to respond, Lucy's mobile rang. She immediately grabbed it and checked the caller ID.

"It's the hospital" Lucy told them breathlessly

"Answer it" Chris insisted

Lucy nodded before answering the call, "Hello, this is Lucy Robison"

After a lengthy pause Lucy nodded, "Ok, we'll be right there" she replied slowly before hanging up

"What's going on?" Chris asked worriedly

"They want to talk to us in person" Lucy replied flatly

Chris looked devastated and Tash rubbed his back, "You never know, this could be good news" she reassured them unconvincingly

Chris scoffed, "They wouldn't have asked us to come in if it was good news" he pointed out

Tash nodded slowly and stopped rubbing Chris' back, "You should probably go then" she murmured

Chris nodded and Lucy rushed out, "Thanks for everything you did today" he told Tash, "And I'm sorry I was such a downer"

Tash shook her head, "It's ok, you've got a lot on your mind" she replied, "Let me know what happens, ok?"

Chris nodded and Tash followed him out, worried for her friend. She hoped that the results weren't too bad, but she was prepared to support her friends regardless of whatever happened.

xxx

Type two spinal muscular atrophy. Those words rung in both Chris and Lucy's heads as they emerged from the room, carrying leaflets about the condition to read later on.

Chris was the one to break the long silence, "Well it could have been worse" he muttered, "Type two isn't that bad"

Lucy shook her head tearfully and Chris wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "We knew this was a possibility-"

"That doesn't make it any easier though" Lucy replied helplessly

Chris shook his head, "No, it doesn't" he agreed quietly, "But remember what we agreed? We're not going to let this change anything"

Lucy nodded slowly, "But she could die" she whispered

"We knew there was a chance of that as soon as we found out that we were carriers of the gene" Chris reminded her. "But type two isn't the worst, it's less severe than type one so her chances of survival are better"

"But she won't be able to walk by herself" Lucy hissed

"Neither can Jem" Chris replied, suddenly thinking about his boyfriend and how inspiring he was, "And he's never let that stop him, he's still managed to have as full a life as anyone else"

Lucy considered this and Chris continued, "There is so much support for her **and** for us, we just need to accept that we'll need it"

Lucy nodded and Chris enveloped her in a tight hug: he wouldn't admit it, but he was just as terrified as Lucy. However, he knew that he had to be strong for her and try to reassure both of them that everything would be ok: that was the only way that he could deal with it.

xxx

Jem, Tash and Andrew were all devastated to discover that Anne had type two spinal muscular atrophy, although they had expected the diagnosis for a while. They had all offered Chris and Lucy their support and Jem had visited them a few times over the week after the appointment to check how they were, something that Chris was grateful for. Lucy and Chris had practically been showered with gifts and cards from friends and co-workers, though none of it made the situation any easier. Neither of them had told their family about the diagnosis: Chris was still trying to decide whether he was going to go home or not before he could decide how he was going to tell them, whilst Lucy had made a plan to catch up with Paul the following week so that she would have the time to deal with the news properly herself. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Chris and Lucy decided to research into what they would need once Annie was born, and began to make a list. Neither of them had realised at first how extensive it was going to be; finding specialists to help Annie with her breathing, feeding and movement as well as all the equipment to help them throughout her life. After several days of trawling through leaflets and websites, Chris and Lucy actually felt better knowing that they had taken steps towards helping their daughter and felt as though they had gained more knowledge and understanding of the condition to help them later on. Nearly a week after the diagnosis, Chris and Lucy were actually feeling more optimistic and confident about what the future was going to bring for them.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	9. Chapter 9

_This chapter is set around the end of April 2015._

* * *

Jem was pleased to see Chris and Lucy looking brighter than they had done the previous week. Despite the heart-breaking diagnosis, Jem knew that it must have felt like a load off of their minds now that they knew what they were dealing with, especially considering how they were acting whilst they were awaiting the results. Things quickly reverted back to how they had been a couple of weeks earlier, and Chris had invited Jem round for a movie afternoon. It was a great distraction and plan to cheer themselves up after the intense time that they had experienced lately, but after the film ended Lucy decided that she had to bite the bullet and update Paul about everything that had happened in the last month. Chris still hadn't decided if or when he was going to break the news to his parents, and was inwardly deliberating about it whilst Lucy was talking to Paul in her bedroom. Jem was still anxious about whether or not Chris was going to go back home, but decided not to mention it considering that both Lucy and Chris had a lot on their minds and didn't want to cause any more tension.

Lucy suddenly emerged from her bedroom slowly as if in a daze, holing her mobile away from herself in shock with red eyes. Chris and Jem noticed immediately and sat up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chris asked worriedly, then panicked, "Is it Anne?" he asked, concerned that Lucy might be in pain because of the baby

Lucy shook her head slowly, "No, it's Paul" she whispered

Chris was relieved that there wasn't a problem with their unborn child, but was confused, "What about him?"

"Do you know Nick Petrides?" Lucy asked

Chris nodded slowly as he vaguely remembered Georgia's strange relationship with the slightly creepy man a couple of months earlier, "You mean Terese's brother, the oncologist?"

Lucy nodded grimly, "Yep, that's him"

"What happened?" Jem asked

"He told Paul that he had leukaemia when he didn't" Lucy revealed shakily

Both Chris and Jem were appalled, "Are you serious?" Chris exclaimed

Lucy nodded tearfully and Jem shook his head in disgust, "Who would do something like that?"

"Apparently Paul objected to the new cancer research centre" Lucy began, "So Nick altered his blood test results thinking that Paul would change his mind if he needed the treatment"

"That's disgusting!" Jem cried

"How long has this been going on for?" Chris asked

"Since around the time we left until the other day when everyone found out the truth" Lucy replied, remembering Paul being ill when she had last seen him but not noticing that something was serious wrong

"The entire time?!" Chris questioned

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, apparently Nick went as far as giving Paul chemotherapy, even though he didn't need it"

Chris shook his head slowly, "I can't even imagine what that must have been like" he murmured before shaking his head, "I never thought I'd ever feel sympathy towards Paul Robinson" he admitted quietly

Lucy chuckled slightly, "I bet a lot of people feel like that" she muttered before exhaling deeply, "But I don't know what to do"

"What do you **want** to do?" Chris asked gently

Lucy shrugged, "I know I should go back to be with him, but after I told him about Anne he insisted that I stay here"

"Well it's up to you" Chris told her, "If you want to go back then you can, but if not then there are plenty of ways to keep in contact with him, so you shouldn't feel guilty"

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, I guess" she replied, "And there's so much stuff to sort out here that I'm not sure I'll even have the time to visit properly"

"Then don't worry about it" Chris insisted, "You guys can support each other long-distance style without wasting time or money by travelling"

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, you're right" she muttered, "In fact, I'm going to look into what'll happen to Nick, because he needs to pay for what he did to my brother"

Chris nodded as Lucy rushed back into her bedroom, slightly surprised by her attitude as he had never seen her so vengeful before.

Jem had gone surprisingly quiet and Chris was concerned, "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked gently as he covered one of Jem's hands with one of his

Jem had been in a trance of sorts, but snapped out of it when he felt the warmth of Chris' hand, "Nothing" he replied distantly

Chris shook his head, "I can tell it's not 'nothing'" he retorted, "You can tell me anything, you know"

Jem nodded slowly, "It's all that stuff with Paul, it brings up a lot of bad memories" he replied quietly

"Of what?" Chris questioned

Jem glanced at Chris awkwardly, "Of my mum, she died of leukemia a few years ago" he admitted

Chris was horrified, "Jem, I am so sorry" he apologised earnestly before letting out a deep breath, "That stuff about Paul must have been hard to hear"

Jem nodded slowly, "It was, and he must have been so scared when he was diagnosed and when he was having the treatment"

Chris nodded before linking their fingers together, "Do you want to talk about it? Your mum or how you're feeling, anything?"

Jem shrugged, "There's not much to say, really" he replied, "My parents had separated years before and I guess I was always closer to dad than to her. Not saying that I didn't care, because I did, but it was just different"

"How long ago was this?" Chris asked

"Just over five years ago, the 25th of February 2010" Jem responded, "It still hurts, not having her around anymore, but a lot's happened since so I guess we've all had to move on with our lives"

Chris shrugged, "Yeah, I guess nobody wants their loved ones to grieve forever, or for them to be held back by a loss"

Jem nodded and Chris repositioned himself so that he was sitting sideways on the sofa to face him, "I appreciate you telling me all of this" Chris murmured, "It couldn't have been easy"

Jem shook his head, "Well it's not an easy thing to talk about, but there's something about you that makes it easy for me to be honest"

Chris smiled, "I'm glad" he replied, "But if I start talking about something that makes you feel uncomfortable, please tell me to shut up so that I don't upset or offend you"

Jem chuckled, "Oh, I will" he replied before kidding him tenderly. The kiss quickly became more heated as Chis gently pushed Jem down into the sofa cushions. However, after a few moments Chris sat up worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Jem asked, worried that Chris' insecurities from a few weeks earlier were arising again

Chris hesitated and glanced over his shoulder, "Well, it's just that in the next room there's a pregnant, hormonal woman who wants revenge on an oncologist who ruined her brother's life"

Jem nodded in understanding, "Yeah, you might want to make sure she's not doing anything stupid"

"I'll be back in a minute" Chris replied hastily before lifting Jem back up, jumping off of the sofa and rushing into Lucy's room. Jem chuckled to himself despite the emotional situation and – for the first time in a long time – felt annoyed that not being able to walk meant that he'd have to wait until Chris came back so that he could find out what was going on. A few moments later, Chris emerged with Lucy who was cradling her laptop with a frown on her face.

"Are you ok?" Jem asked

Lucy shook her head, "No, I want to find out what's going to happen to Nick" she grumbled

Chris gently sat her down on the sofa, "He'll probably be sent to prison for a long time" he assured her, "Then Paul can put this whole nightmare behind him, and so can you"

Lucy nodded grudgingly, "Yeah, I guess" she murmured as she closed her laptop. Jem gazed at Chris fondly, admiring how calm and collected he was being considering everything that was going on. Unbeknownst to him, Chris' head was full of worries so his cool exterior was just an act to cover up how he was really feeling. Now more than ever, Chris realised that he wanted and needed to stay in New York for good, but was scared of admitting it out loud and was unsure about what he was supposed to do now that he had made his decision.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Apologies if the leukemia stuff was hard-hitting, but I thought that I would make reference to Paul's false diagnosis and expand on Jem's backstory in the process (though it does make Jem seem like quite a tragic character). For observant readers, the 25th February 2010 (the date I chose for the death of Jem's mum) was actually the date of Chris' first episode. The next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	10. Chapter 10

_This chapter is set about a week after the previous one._

* * *

Lucy had begun to move on from what had happened to Paul and was engrossed in taking notes about her upcoming hospital appointments. Because of Annie's condition, she had to have more check-ups than usual to monitor the baby's development so Lucy knew that she had to be organised. However, Chris emerging from his room on his mobile brought her out of her trance.

"Ok, see you soon" he concluded to the recipient, "I love you too, bye"

Lucy looked surprised as Chris hung up, "Wow, I didn't know you and Jem were saying that to each other already"

Chris chuckled, "No, that wasn't Jem" he explained, "It was mum"

"Oh, right" Lucy nodded, then raised an eyebrow, "Hang on, you said 'see you soon'. Are you going back home then?"

Chris shook his head, "The opposite, actually. My parents are coming here" he replied, then grimaced at Lucy's confused expression, "Sorry, I know I should have warned you earlier but they only just suggested it and I couldn't turn them down"

"It's fine" Lucy assured him before glancing around hesitantly, "The sleeping arrangements might be a bit difficult, but we'll cope"

Chris shrugged, "They can have my bed while they're here" he suggested, "It's only a short visit to deliver some of my stuff so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle"

"' **Some** ' of it?" Lucy repeated in confusion

"Yeah, I'm getting most of my stuff shipped over but my folks insisted on bringing some of the lighter things themselves" he explained

"Oh, and I guess the trip to New York is just a bonus then?" Lucy joked

Chris grinned and nodded, "Yeah, as well as getting to check up on me and how we're doing" he added

"That doesn't sound too bad" Lucy retorted, "I mean, they've been great during this whole thing"

"I know, it couldn't have been easy for them but they've been so amazing and supportive" Chris agreed, "I really don't know what I'd do without them"

Lucy nodded awkwardly, her own parents being a touchy subject, "So when are they coming?"

"In a couple of days" Chris replied casually

"Wow, that's quick" Lucy exclaimed

Chris shrugged, "That's my parents for you, they don't like to wait around" he joked, "But thanks to all of your leads I was able to book the shipping delivery straight away, and my folks didn't want to leave it too long afterwards"

Lucy grinned, "That is one of the perks of being involved with the Robinson family" she replied smugly

Chris nodded, "Yep, and I'm not going to take it for granted" he responded facetiously

Lucy chuckled, "Have you told Jem yet?"

Chris' eyes widened, "I've literally just got off the phone to my parents" he reminded her

Lucy shook her head, "I know, but I meant when you made the decision to stay"

Chris glanced away awkwardly and Lucy sighed, "Chris, didn't we go over this after the double-date?" she pointed out

Chris nodded, "Yeah, I know and I really don't want to make things weird again-"

"So tell him" Lucy instructed, "He'll be thrilled that you're staying, and he might even get to meet your parents while they're here"

Chris smiled worriedly. Although what Lucy had just said hadn't been wrong, he was nervous about all these changes in his life, and it was slightly overwhelming. Chris made a mental note before he went back to work to tell Jem about his decision as soon as he could.

xxx

Chris grinned the other members of staff as he entered the hotel. Although he had been working earlier on, it was a different atmosphere when he wasn't acting as their boss anymore. Jogging down the hallway to Conference Room 2, Chris was excited to tell Jem his big news. However, once he noticed his boyfriend clearing the equipment from the lesson away with a forlorn expression, Chris was worried.

"Hey" he greeted cautiously as he entered the room

Jem noticed him and although his whole demeanour brightened, he was still visibly upset about something, "Hi"

"Is something wrong?" Chris asked as he approached

Jem shook his head, "No, it's nothing" he replied awkwardly

Chris stopped in front of him and folded his arms, "It's obviously not 'nothing'" he replied, "Did something happen during the class?"

Jem shook his head, "No, and that's the problem" he murmured bitterly

Chris was confused, "What do you mean?"

" **Nothing** happened" Jem repeated, "As in, nobody came"

"Oh" Chris breathed in disappointment, "Sorry"

Jem shrugged, "It's not your fault" he assured him, "I'm just not sure how much longer I can keep doing these sessions because I'm not making a profit and I'm actually losing money as we speak"

"But you love doing this job" Chris pointed out

Jem nodded, "I do, and it's my only real source of income" he told him, "Although I'm not getting much of that anymore"

"Is it really that bad?" Chris asked, "I mean, it's only **one** session that nobody turned up to"

Jem shook his head, "Actually, there's been less and less people each week" he muttered, "At least **you** turned up, even if you did miss the entire thing"

Chris sniggered, "If I'd have known, I would have come earlier" he told him, "But I was kind of busy and I thought it would be better to tell you after the session anyway"

"Tell me what?" Jem asked

"That I'm not going back home" Chris replied, "I'm staying in New York, officially"

Jem grinned, "That's awesome!" he exclaimed, pulling him down for an eager kiss. Jem forgot about his job for a few moments in his excitement that his boyfriend was sticking around.

Chris pulled away, "But now I feel weird telling you this while you're having problems with your job"

Jem shook his head, "Don't worry about it, your news was definitely worth it" he assured him before bitterly adding, "I can think about my failing business later"

Chris bit his lip and tried to come up with a way to improve Jem's mood, "Actually, do you have any plans for the next couple of days?"

Jem shook his head, "Apart from avoiding checking my finances, nope"

Chris chuckled at his boyfriend's dry attitude, "Well my folks are visiting on Friday, and I'd love for you to meet them"

Jem smiled, "Yeah, that sounds great" he replied enthusiastically

"And I'm also getting a load of my stuff shipped over tomorrow, so I'm enlisting Andrew and Tash to help me move it all and set everything up" Chris continued, "It would be great if you could join us"

"Well I'm not sure how much help I'll be" Jem replied, gesturing to his wheelchair

Chris shrugged, "Even if you just help to assemble some of it, that would be better than nothing" he replied, "And we can all help you come up with a way to salvage your job"

"Oh, so you're suddenly an expert at running a business, are you?" Jem teased

"Well, not really" Chris muttered, "But Andrew's the closest thing to an entrepreneur that we're gonna get, so you might as well take advantage"

Jem held his gaze, "I guess that's an offer I can't refuse"

Chris grinned, "Great" he exclaimed before rushing over to the storage area and grabbing a basketball before hopping into a wheelchair.

"What are you doing?" Jem asked slowly

Chris dribbled the ball, "What does it look like?" he questioned, "Since I couldn't make it to the original session, how about we have our own private one?"

Jem raised an eyebrow, "Am I gonna get paid?" he asked teasingly

Chris shrugged, "Maybe"

Jem chuckled and shook his head in amusement as Chris steered the chair past him. Although he was worried about his finances, Jem wasn't going to accept money from his own boyfriend, but he desperately hoped that he could find a way to save his job before it was too late.

xxx

As Chris had planned, Andrew, Tash and Jem all collaborated to move and assemble Chris' items that had been transported overseas.

Chris let out a breath as he glanced around his refurbished room, "And that's the last of it!" he announced, "Thanks again for all your help, guys"

Tash shrugged, "It wasn't a problem"

Andrew scoffed, "You can hardly talk, you just stood there for most of it while we did all the hard work"

"Yeah, even **I** did more than you" Jem agreed, "And I can't even use my legs!"

Chris crouched down next to him to sling an arm around his shoulders, "And you suggesting that we use your wheelchair to move the heavy stuff was genius"

Tash snorted, "Yeah, only because Pickles and Freckles couldn't actually carry it between them"

Andrew rolled his eyes, "And now we're back on the subject of what **you** did to help" he retorted, "Apart from set feminism back a few centuries"

Tash looked appalled and Chris jumped up, "Ok, before Tash blows a gasket, why don't we change the subject?"

Tash chuckled, "Once a mechanic, always a mechanic" she joked, receiving a smirk from Chris.

The conversation was quickly changed to the subject of Jem's job dilemma, which fortunately Andrew was eager to contribute his ideas to. Whilst they were deep in discussion, Chris took another look around his room and was overcome with a sense of nostalgia. The room had been empty for over a month, almost symbolising the blank slate that he had after he had arrived, but it was also a reminder that this wasn't going to be a permanent move. Now that it was filled with items from the past twenty years of his life it felt like a nod to the past but also paved the way for his future, which was now in New York.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	11. Chapter 11

_This chapter is set the day after the previous one._

* * *

Chris was thrilled to see his parents. It had barely been two months since he had left but it felt like a lifetime had passed. They had spoken on the phone regularly since then, but to talk to them in person was even better. As promised, George and Patricia brought over the last of Chris' items from home as well as some meals that they could freeze and eat later, which Chris practically jumped for joy about.

Lucy was uncharacteristically nervous about meeting Chris' parents. Although they had learnt a fair amount about each other over the past few months, finally meeting in person was a big deal. George and Patricia were going to be Anne's grandparents, and they were the closest Lucy was going to get to having her own parents around.

Prior to their arrival, Lucy had been rushing around her home, dusting the whole place obsessively. Chris had watched her with a combination of amusement and confusion on his face.

"Is this part of the pregnancy?" he eventually asked, "The sudden desire to clean?"

Lucy shook her head, "No, I just want this place to look good for your parents"

Chris chuckled, "They're not going to care" he assured her, "It's not like they're going to give us marks out of ten for cleanliness or anything"

Lucy shrugged, "They must have standards" she pointed out

Chris snorted, "They raised **me** , remember?"

Lucy glanced at him, "Ah, I see what you mean" she replied as she stopped dusting.

Just as Chris predicted, his parents were uninterested in the cleanliness of their son's new home. Instead, they were just concerned with his happiness and how he had settled into his life in New York. They were thrilled to finally meet Lucy in person and promised to do whatever they could to help both of them now and in the future.

Chris was more excited than nervous about his parents meeting Jem, and the interaction was pleasant enough. George and Patricia asked Jem an almost overwhelming number of questions, and Chris waited with bated breath in the hope that none of the questions would sound offensive: he knew that his parents would never intend to offend anyone, but since Jem's background was quite intense and complicated, they needed to tread lightly and be sensitive in the questions that they asked. Fortunately, Jem answered all of their questions politely and asked them nearly as many as they had asked him in return, because he was genuinely interested in getting to know his boyfriend's parents and he doubted that he would see them that often to talk to them much more.

After their evening meal, Jem offered to help Lucy clear the table and wash up, leaving Chris alone with his parents.

"So, are you happy here?" his mum asked at the earliest opportunity

Chris laughed, "I'm more than happy, I thought that was obvious"

Patricia nodded, "I was just making sure" she replied, "And now that you're staying here for good, we just want to know that you're ok"

"I am" Chris assured them

"Well you've made a good life for yourself here" George pointed out, "You and Lucy seem to be well-prepared for the baby, you've got some good friends here and a steady job so we-"

"And don't forget Jem" Chris interjected, "He's been incredible during this whole thing"

Chris noticed his parents glancing away uncomfortably and was confused, "What are those looks for?"

Patricia sighed, "As lovely as Jem is, we're not sure he's the kind of guy that you should be with, at least not right now"

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked in confusion, "He's amazing, why shouldn't I be with him?"

"Because he's in a wheelchair and he-" George began

Chris was outraged, "Wow, really?" he snapped, "You're really judging him based on a disability? Do you realise how horrible that is?"

"No, let me finish" George insisted, "His brother has Asperger's Syndrome and-"

Chris rolled his eyes, "And now you're judging Jem based on his brother's condition, that's so much better" he muttered

"Christos, that's not what I meant" George assured him, "Jem's a carer for his brother, he runs his own business and he's got a lot of baggage which we don't think you should be dealing with right now"

Chris let out a deep breath, "Well I appreciate your honesty, even if you do sound completely disablist" he began, "But Jem and I are happy together, we care about each other and I want to be with him no matter what anyone else thinks"

George and Patricia shared a look, "In that case, we're happy for you" Patricia replied

Chris was taken aback, "Really?" he questioned

Patricia nodded, "All we want is for you to be happy, and if this all makes you happy then it's fine by us"

Chris smiled, "Well I am, and I'd tell you if I wasn't" he assured them

"So it's official then?" George questioned, "This is your new home?"

Chris nodded, "Yeah, I'm staying here for good" he replied determinedly, "I've been reluctant to admit it before because, well, it's like closing a whole chapter in my life and it's taken so much for me to make this decision. I mean, I might go back to visit you guys, but it's not really my home anymore. **This** is my home now"

"Well I can't say I'm thrilled about you living so far away" Patricia began, "But you seem sure that this is what you want, so we're not going to argue with you or stand in your way"

"Good, because I doubt you'll want to do anything to affect your chances of seeing your granddaughter" Chris warned them teasingly

Patricia was about to scold her son but instead her face lit up, "You're having a girl?" she exclaimed

Chris nodded, "Yep, and we're naming her 'Anne Katherine Robinson-Pappas" he announced proudly

"Good, you've kept the Pappas name in there" George pointed out

"Yeah, I knew you wouldn't let me get away with not using the Pappas name" Chris chuckled, "And 'Robinson-Pappas' has a nice ring to it"

Patricia nodded before standing up and holding her son's hands, "We're so pleased that you're here and you're happy" she whispered, "And we're so proud of you for making this life for yourself, especially after everything you went through last year"

Chris nodded awkwardly and let himself be pulled into a group hug by both of his parents. Meanwhile, neither Jem nor Lucy could resist the temptation to eavesdrop on their conversation and were listening through the kitchen door. Jem had been touched by Chris standing up for him to his parents, but was confused about the reference to 'last year', and wondered what had happened that was so significant.

xxx

There was a long silence as Chris took Jem back to his apartment. Chris was reflecting on how much things had changed lately, whilst Jem was trying to respect Chris' situation. As they reached the front door, Jem suddenly turned to him.

"Look, don't get mad but I kind of listened in on your conversation with your parents earlier" Jem confessed, "I didn't mean to but Lucy and I could hear bits of it from the kitchen and we couldn't help ourselves"

Chris rolled his eyes and was annoyed that his boyfriend had eavesdropped on what he considered to be a private conversation, but realised that he had nothing to hide, "So how much of it did you actually hear?"

"Pretty much all of it" Jem replied, "And when you stood up for me and told your parents that you want to be with me, that was really sweet"

Chris shrugged, "It's the truth" he pointed out, "And I hope that you are happy with me, because I did tell my parents that"

"Of course I am" Jem assured him before hesitating, "But if you don't mind me asking, what happened last year that your parents were talking about?"

Chris let out a breath, "Late last year I was coward-punched by a neighbour of mine, Josh" he confessed, "I ended up with a brain injury and an arm injury, and I had to quit my apprenticeship as a mechanic which is how I ended up working at Lassiter's"

Jem grimaced, "I'm sorry you went through that" he murmured before glancing at him up and down, "But you couldn't tell just by looking at you"

Chris nodded, "I know, and I'm never taking my health for granted again" he replied, "It was life-changing, and I'm not sure whether I'll ever really be the same again but I've learnt a lot from it"

Jem nodded, "Well I appreciate you telling me that" he began, "And thanks for inviting me to meet your parents; apart from the discrimination thing they seemed like really nice people"

Chris couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, they've never discriminated against anyone before so I was in the wrong to accuse them" he remarked

"Well I hope I'll get the chance to speak to them again before they leave" Jem muttered

"That would be good" Chris replied, "They're not staying for long, but hopefully it'll be long enough for you to get to know each other better"

"Well I'm looking forward to it" Jem told him before tugging on Chris' shirt so that he would kiss him, which he did

Chris pulled away "I'll see you tomorrow then"

Jem nodded, "Yep, goodnight" he replied before wheeling himself inside. Chris watched after him with a slight smile at how the day had turned out, then made his way back home.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Apologies if this chapter seems a bit disjointed; I was trying to cover quite a lot of different ideas and I was working on it bit-by-bit so I feel like it lacks a bit of flow. Anyway, the next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	12. Chapter 12

_This chapter is set about a week after the previous one, with flashbacks to events taking place earlier in the week._

* * *

Chris smiled when Sheila's face showed up on the screen, partly in amusement that Kyle had to stay with her to help her set up the video chat. He was glad to see both of them after what felt like years, despite it being only a couple of months, and was looking forward to catching up on everything that had happened recently.

After making the standard small-talk, Chris found out what was happening in Erinsborough and was surprised to find out that Amber was pregnant. He made a mental note to call her and congratulate her; though considering the grave expressions on Kyle and Sheila's faces, it didn't seem like news that Amber particularly wanted to celebrate. His old friends were pleased to find out that Chris was in a relationship, and insisted on knowing everything they could about him. Chris decided to withhold some information out of respect, and tried to keep things as simple as possible, much to Kyle and Sheila's annoyance. He offhandedly asked about Nate, concerned that he might sound too desperate otherwise, and was disappointed to discover that nothing had really changed since he had left. When Kyle and Sheila asked about when he was coming back to Erinsborough (considering that he had originally planned to return after a couple of weeks), Chris awkwardly broke the news that he wasn't coming back at all. They didn't seem surprised and Kyle admitted that he realised within a few weeks that Chris had no plans to return, which was made more evident once all of his belongings were removed from his old room. Chris explained that his relationship with Jem combined with everything that had happened with Anne had made him realise that there was no point in going back to Erinsborough: his life was in New York now. Kyle and Sheila were disappointed, but also pleased that he had settled so quickly and that his parents were accepting of his decision.

Chris smiled as he remembered the conversation between himself, his parents and Jem. Chris and Jem had agreed not to eavesdrop on each other's conversations anymore, and to be as honest as possible with each other to prevent nasty surprises and conflicts in the future. With Chris' encouragement, Jem admitted to George and Patricia that he had overheard their concerns about the relationship. Chris' parents were embarrassed, but were quick to reassure Jem.

"We were just worried about him" Patricia explained earnestly, "You know, **his** situation and **your** situation are kind of complicated and we weren't sure whether you guys could handle it"

Jem didn't need to know what they meant by 'situation', and didn't appreciate the term but he understood why George and Patricia felt the way that they did.

"It's fine" Jem replied, "You're his parents, you're just looking out for him"

George shrugged, "It's our job"

Patricia patted Jem's hand, "But tell us about **your** parents"

"There's not much to tell, really" Jem shrugged, "My mom passed away a few years ago"

Patricia frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that"

George nodded sombrely before asking, "What about your dad?"

Jem looked uncomfortable and Chris squeezed his other hand uncertainly, "He's still around, but mom's death really changed things, so we're not as close as we used to be" he forced a small smile onto his face, "So it's just me and my little brother together against the world"

Chris stared at Jem, practically in awe at his attitude despite the blatantly difficult upbringing he'd had. He realised that there was so much more to his boyfriend than he first thought, and desperately wanted to get to know him better. It almost scared Chris how much he cared about Jem and wanted to be with him, and it dawned on him how important Jem was in making the decision to stay in New York. After all, Chris would have gone back to Erinsborough after a couple of weeks were it not for meeting the other man at a random garage during his run: everything had happened so quickly after that, but Chris wouldn't have had it any other way. Watching Jem bonding with George and Patricia confirmed it even more, and he couldn't wait to spend his future here with Jem, Lucy and Anne.

In the midst of his thoughts, Chris had lost track of the conversation, and – typically for him – happened to tune back in at the mention of food.

"Well now I can rest easy at night knowing that my son is being sufficiently nourished" Patricia joked

"Just as long as he's not putting you out" George added quickly

Jem shook his head, "Not at all. I love cooking for him, and Lucy" he replied before chuckling, "It's not like they've got me slaving away over a hot stove or anything like that"

"I'm glad" Patricia responded

"So am I" Chris agreed, "Though I don't know how I would cope if I didn't have you, and not just because I'd probably starve"

Kyle and Sheila could tell that Chris was preoccupied with his own thoughts, so they quickly made their excuses to end the call. Chris was disappointed by the abrupt end but was glad that they'd had the opportunity to catch up. Chris assured them that they could call him whenever they wanted to; he'd always make time for the two people who took him into their home and made him feel like part of a family again.

xxx

Jem could tell that Chris' mind was elsewhere. He knew that Chris had just finished the video chat with Kyle and Sheila, so he was probably feeling nostalgic about his time in Erinsborough. Watching Chris practically float through his home unnerved Jem slightly, particularly when Chris gazed fondly at the photographs of his friends and family dotted around the place. Moving to the kitchen, Chris picked up the sandwich press that Nate had bought him last Christmas, and after staring at it for a remarkably long time, he placed in in a cupboard.

"Did you want me to make you something?" Jem asked

Chris almost jumped out of his skin, "How long have you been standing there for?" he questioned, then cringed, "Sorry, bad turn of phrase"

Jem chuckled, "It's fine" he replied, "So did you want something to eat?"

Chris shrugged, "No thanks, I'm not really hungry"

"That's not like you" Jem joked before looking concerned, "What's wrong?"

Chris leant against the doorframe of the kitchen, "I don't know" he admitted, "I guess talking to Kyle and Sheila just put into perspective how much things have changed lately"

Jem nodded in understanding, "If you're having second thoughts about staying here, or our relationship then that's ok-"

Chris shook his head, "I'm not. I want to stay in New York, and not just because of Lucy and Anne" he assured him, " **You** are probably one of the biggest reasons why I'm sticking around" he hesitated before admitting, "I want to be with you, I'm crazy about you"

Jem blushed slightly, "Well the feeling's mutual"

Chris smiled before letting out a breath, "Things are really unpredictable at the moment, I'm not sure what's happening from one day to the next" he admitted, "So if you're looking for any guarantees about the future, I don't think I can make them. All I can say is that here and now, this is what I want. **You're** what I want"

Jem smiled, "Same here" he agreed before pulling Chris down to kiss him deeply.

Before either of them knew what was happening, Chris had lifted Jem out of his wheelchair and was cradling him in his arms.

Jem burst into laughter at his abruptness, "What are you doing?"

Chris froze, "I was going to… uh" he stammered as he glanced towards the bedroom then realised how insulting his actions could seem, "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that"

Jem quickly caught on before Chris had a chance to put him back down into his chair, "No, it's fine" he assured him, "I just didn't realise you were ready"

Chris nodded, "I am" he replied determinedly before becoming coy again, "Are you?"  
Jem nodded, "Yeah, I am too" he responded, then glanced at the wheelchair, "Though you will have to fetch that at some point"

Chris shrugged, "I'll do that later" he replied before kissing him again and carrying him into the bedroom.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Apologies for this chapter taking so long and ending so abruptly: obviously it will continue into the next one. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	13. Chapter 13

_This chapter is set immediately after the previous one._

* * *

Chris had prepared himself to some extent for the difficulties that his first time with Jem would present, but he hadn't expected it to be quite so awkward. There was a lot of talking involved and Chris had to do most of the moving around to make up for Jem being unable to, which was a little bit strange to get used to. Despite all the clumsy fumbling around, their first time together felt right: perfect, even.

Afterwards, Chris and Jem lay in bed, side-by-side, caught up in their own thoughts.

"You were right" Chris finally murmured

"I know" Jem replied casually, then looked confused, "Wait, what are you referring to?"

Chris chuckled, "When you said that being with you isn't all that different compared to other guys" he reminded him, "Apart from having a more… active role"

Jem scoffed, "Good to know you've been with enough guys to make that comparison"

"I didn't mean it like that-" Chris began earnestly

"I know you didn't, I was just kidding" Jem assured him, then hesitated, "But if you don't mind me asking, how many guys have you been with?"

"Do you mean boyfriends or guys I've slept with?" Chris clarified

"Is there that much of a difference?" Jem asked

"For me there is" Chris responded slowly, "I went through a bit of a rough patch a couple of years ago and I turned to casual hook-ups to deal with it"

"What kind of a 'rough patch'?" Jem enquired

"My boyfriend at the time, Hudson, was arrested for manslaughter" Chris began, "And even though I promised that I'd stand by him, he completely cut me off, even after he got bail he refused to take my calls or acknowledge me. Then I started hooking up with random guys so that I wouldn't have to deal with how I really felt."

"Ah" Jem breathed, which was followed by a long silence

Chris exhaled, "I don't blame you for judging me, I've done enough of that in my time"

"I'm not judging you" Jem argued softly, "In fact, I've done something similar in the past"

"Really?" Chris questioned in surprise

"In High School I was bullied **a lot** " Jem revealed, "I guess I was an easy target, being in a wheelchair, being gay and having a brother with a social impairment. I couldn't talk to anyone about it, so I turned to alcohol. I did quite a bit of damage, but my dad made me realise that I needed help and I was able to deal with it before it was too late. Now apart from the odd glass of wine on special occasions, I avoid alcohol like the plague"

"Wow" Chris breathed, feeling guilty about bringing wine on their first date despite it being Lucy's idea, "I'll remember not to have alcohol around you anymore then" he murmured before rolling onto his side to look at him properly and linking their fingers together, "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that"

"Ditto, but I guess it's worth it now anyway" he replied happily, then kissed his hand, "Actually, you never answered my question, how many guys have there been? Boyfriends, I mean"

"Not including you, I've had four" Chris answered

"And how long have you been 'out'?" Jem enquired

Chris did the maths, "About four and a half years" he replied, "What about you?"

"Three other boyfriends in nearly nine years" Jem answered, "So have all of your relationships ended as dramatically as the ones with Nate and Hudson?" he asked, then cringed, "Sorry, that sounded really insensitive, you don't have to answer that"

"No, I don't mind" Chris assured him, "I'm actually more surprised that you're interested"

Jem smiled, "Well it's **you** , and I'm very interested in you"

"The feeling's mutual" Chris agreed softly – echoing Jem's words from earlier – before kissing him tenderly, then chuckled at a particular memory as he pulled away, "Actually, the weirdest break-up I've ever had was definitely with my third boyfriend, Will"

Jem grinned in curiosity at Chris confession, "What happened?"

"A dog happened" Chris deadpanned

Jem pulled a face, "That sounds… weird"

"It was" Chris replied, "He was creepily obsessed with his dog, one of the most badly behaved that I've ever met. His dog attacked Kyle's dog, Bossy, but he refused to take responsibility for it and our relationship came to a grinding halt"

Jem bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, "Sorry"

Chris shrugged, almost embarrassed at how devastated he had been at the time, "It was no loss really, we were only together for about a week. Even calling him a 'boyfriend' was a stretch"

"Well that's all good news for me then" Jem smirked before kissing him again, "Hang on, who was your first boyfriend?"

Chris let out a deep breath, "Aidan, an older – more experienced – guy" he replied, "He was a nurse who took care of me during one of my stays in the Hospital but my insecurities about our relationship broke us up, as did Aidan keeping secrets from me later on"

"You mean you weren't comfortable with your sexuality?" Jem questioned

Chris pulled a face, "Not exactly, I was fine with him in public but I didn't want to rock the boat with my dad because things were still weird between us back then" he explained, "So I hid my relationship with Aidan from him but kept telling Aidan that I would tell him about us, and eventually he couldn't take the lies anymore"

Jem nodded slowly, "I get it, as an older guy he'd want to be open about your relationship" he mused, "But you had issues with your dad, so it must have felt like you were stuck between a rock and a hard place"

Chris smiled, "Yeah, that's definitely what it felt like" he breathed, and there was a lingering pause before he sat up, "Hang on, I think I've got an idea for your new job"

"What?" Jem asked as he held his hands out to Chris

"Have you ever considered being a counsellor?" Chris asked as he helped Jem to sit up against the pillows, "You've got a lot of life experience, you're empathetic and you're one of the strongest, most inspirational people I've ever known"

Jem smiled softly at Chris before reaching out towards him and pulling him into a deep kiss.

"What was that for?" Chris breathed after they finally pulled apart

"For the compliments, and for the job idea" Jem replied, "I actually studied Psychology in High School and did quite well, but I studied sports and business after I left instead"

"So it's something that you're interested in?" Chris asked

Jem nodded immediately, "Definitely, it's just a case of figuring out how I'm supposed to do it"

Chris considered this, "Yeah, I guess you've got a lot going on so I'm not sure whether you'd consider University as an option" he muttered

Jem sighed, "You know what? Tomorrow, I'm gonna spend the afternoon looking into different pathways and see which one works best for me"

Chris smiled, "Good idea" he agreed, "I'd offer to help, but Lucy has an appointment at the Hospital tomorrow afternoon and I promised I'd go with her"

"That's fine, I think I can use the internet by myself" Jem quipped, "Is it just a routine check-up?"

Chris nodded, "Lucy needs to be monitored more closely than other expecting mothers because of the spinal muscular atrophy" he explained, starting to worry about the appointment. Spending time with Jem had taken his mind off of it for a while, but the anxiety had flared up again once he had started thinking about it.

Jem sensed Chris' nervousness and held his hand, "It'll be fine, try not to panic" he assured him before kissing him again. As Chris melted into the kiss, he hoped that Jem was right.

xxx

Chris didn't manage to warn Lucy that there was a member of staff approaching her in the queue for drinks as she turned around with a paper cup of herbal tea in her hands. He grimaced as they collided and the warm liquid practically burst out of the cup, though fortunately she and the man both managed to escape unscathed. They both apologised simultaneously, and although he was standing quite a distance away, Chris could still see and hear them relatively well and didn't miss the vibes between them.

"Let me buy you another drink" the handsome American offered once he had finished his string of apologies

Lucy shook her head, "It's fine, honestly" she replied

"No it's not" the guy responded, "I insist, what did you have?"

Lucy held his gaze and realised that he wouldn't give in, "Peppermint tea, thanks"

The doctor nodded and ordered another peppermint tea and a long black coffee before moving along the queue with Lucy. Chris couldn't hide his smile at the clichéd turn of events. The guy that Lucy was talking to didn't look much older than her and he couldn't see a ring on any of his fingers, which was a good sign for a possible romance with Lucy.

Lucy looked surprised by the man's choice of drink, "Wow, long day?"

The man nodded, "I was up at the crack of dawn and I've got an all-nighter as well so I need to keep my energy up" he replied flatly, "This is the first break I've had all day"

Lucy sucked in a breath, "That sounds rough" she murmured, "Which department are you in?"

"The children's ward" he replied, "I'm a paediatrician"

Lucy smiled, "That's so cool"

The guy nodded, "Thanks, I think so too" he replied jokingly as he extended his hand towards her, "I'm Greg, by the way"

Lucy shook his hand politely, "I'm Lucy" she responded, "So you like working with kids then?"

"Yeah, I do" he replied, "My own kids are all grown up now so it's nice to still be able to care for children"

Lucy nodded in understanding and Greg gave her a quick glance up and down, "So what are you here for? Nothing serious, I hope"

Lucy chuckled, "It's our baby-" she began as she placed a hand on her protruding belly.

Greg looked confused, "' **Our** baby'?" he repeated

Lucy pointed to where Chris was standing, and the younger man gave a small wave.

"Oh" Greg breathed, and even Chris could tell that he seemed disappointed

Lucy giggled uncertainly at his reaction, "Yeah, she's got spinal muscular atrophy so we have to have more check-ups than usual" she explained

Greg nodded sombrely, "I'm sorry to hear that" he murmured before clearing his throat, "But it's amazing being a parent, you're gonna love it and so is your partner"

Lucy burst into laughter, which puzzled Greg, "Oh, we're not together" she snickered, "We're just friends, but we live together and are having a baby together" she told him slowly, wondering if this was too much information to be sharing with a stranger

Greg nodded slowly, "So you're like Ross and Rachel from 'Friends' then?" he questioned

Lucy considered this, "Well if Ross was gay and half Rachel's age, then yeah"

Greg chuckled, "Wow, that seems like an… interesting situation"

Lucy nodded awkwardly and suddenly became quite shy, "Sorry, that got way too personal way too quickly"

Greg shook his head, "No, it's fine" he assured her, "I'm used to hearing people's personal stories within minutes of meeting them"

Lucy smiled, "Yeah, I guess you would be" she replied as she received her new drink, "Did you want to join us while you're on your break?"

Greg reached for his drink and glanced at Chris, who was still watching their interaction with much amusement, "Are you sure?"

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, our appointment's not for a while yet, unless you've got other plans"

Greg wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to get to know this gorgeous blond woman better, even if he had to sit with the baby-daddy, "No, I don't" he assured her, "Thanks, that sounds good"

Lucy smiled and led him over to Chris, who had just managed to suppress his smug grin and made a mental note to tease Lucy about Greg as soon as he could.

xxx

Greg was still trying to get his head around the situation with Chris and Lucy, even after he returned to his shift. The younger man had seemed friendly enough, though Greg was puzzled by how people like Chris and Lucy could strike up a friendship so close that they would agree to have a child together. Despite the odd situation, Greg was undoubtedly attracted to the woman and wanted to get to know her better. He had never been more reluctant to return to work than when he was talking to Lucy, but unfortunately he had patients to see. Lucy was disappointed when he stood up to leave and suggested that they swap numbers so that they could keep in touch. Greg agreed enthusiastically and noticed Chris' smug expression, but decided not to question it as they exchanged phone numbers.

Once Greg had returned to work, Chris leant towards Lucy, "So do you fancy him or do you fancy him?" he joked

Lucy prodded him, "Shut up!" she hissed, "He's a nice guy, that's all"

"Sure, pretend that there's nothing more to it" Chris quipped

Lucy shrugged, "There's not"

Chris sighed, "Lucy, we're not twelve, it's not gross to like boys" he pointed out before muttering, "Even though I spent a long time telling myself that it is"

Lucy pinched his cheek, "Poor Christos" she murmured playfully, "But it's just not worth thinking about romance right now"

"Why not?" Chris agued, "Because you're pregnant? Pregnant women are entitled to romance, you know. Everyone is"

Lucy considered this and Chris squeezed her hand, "Look, the timing of this is really weird, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take the chance while you've got it" he pointed out

"So what should I do?" Lucy asked

"Invite him over to ours for a meal or something" Chris suggested, "Make it as casual as possible and use it as an opportunity to get to know him better"

Lucy mulled this over and Chris grinned, "I'll invite Jem over, and we can stop any awkward silences and size Greg up to make sure that he's good enough for you"

"'Good enough' for me?" Lucy repeated, "It's not like my standards are sky high"

"There'd be nothing wrong with it if they were" Chris countered, "You shouldn't settle for less than you deserve, especially with what's going on at the moment"

Lucy smiled at him softly, "Thank you, I really appreciate it"

"You don't have to thank me" Chris assured her, "It's my duty as your baby-daddy. Which is also why you need to set your standards high, because any guy you date has to be ok with this whole situation"

"If he's not, then he's not worth my time" Lucy agreed before glancing at her watch, "Actually, we should be heading to our appointment"

Chris nodded and stood up, "Look, no matter who we're dating, we'll always put Anne first, right?" he clarified

"Absolutely" Lucy replied, "She's the priority"

Chris squeezed her hand again as they left the cafeteria to go to their appointment. As they had expected, it was just a routine check-up and everything was progressing at the normal rate, so they both felt a sense of relief as they left the hospital shortly afterwards. Lucy felt guilty that her head was occupied with thoughts of Greg despite what she and Chris had agreed on earlier. For Lucy to have finally met someone who she felt a connection with and could be good for her was a great feeling, but it couldn't have come at a more awkward time. She felt complete uncertainty later on as she contacted Greg to make arrangements for a meal with him, but she knew that she needed to take a leap of faith, and hoped that things would work out.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Apologies if this chapter seems a bit disjointed; I was trying to cover quite a lot of different ideas to maintain the movement. Anyway, the next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	14. Chapter 14

_This chapter is set the evening after the previous chapter._

* * *

Jem's head was still spinning from sitting in front of his laptop for several hours, researching different pathways into becoming a counsellor. No matter where he looked, it all seemed to lead back to university, which wasn't much of a surprise. He was thankful for a distraction once his boyfriend had shown up at his house.

"Hey you" Jem greeted as Chris entered

"Hey" Chris replied, kissing him quickly, "How did the research go?"

Jem sighed as he closed the door, "Apparently my options are university, university, some training course or university"

"What about university?" Chris suggested jokingly

Jem pulled a face at him, "I don't really want to think about that right now" he grumbled, "Tell me how the appointment went"

Chris shrugged, "It was fine" he replied, "Aside from the obvious, Anne is a healthy baby"

"That's good to hear" Jem responded honestly

"Actually, something unexpected happened before the appointment" Chris teased excitedly

Jem held back a smile at his boyfriend's demeanour, "What was it?"

"Lucy met a guy" Chris announced, "It was like something from a rom-com; they accidentally bumped into each other, she dropped her drink, he bought her a new one, they started chatting and she's invited him over for dinner tonight"

Jem looked impressed, "Wow, that's awesome"

Chris nodded, "Do you want to come over?" he asked, "We're making it into a double-date kind of thing"

"Sure, sounds good" Jem agreed, "So who is this guy?"

"His name's Greg and he's a paediatrician" Chris began before pausing and thinking back to his conversation with Greg, "And, uh...You know, he didn't really talk about himself that much"

Jem looked slightly uncomfortable, "Really? Why not?"

"I don't know, he seemed more interested in knowing about Lucy" Chris shrugged, "Which I guess is a good sign, right?"

Jem nodded awkwardly, "Sure" he murmured

Chris was confused by Jem's change of mood, "What's wrong?"

Jem shook his head, "Nothing"

"Then why are you acting like I just told you that he's a serial killer?" Chris pointed out

Jem sniggered, "It's just a bit weird, you know" he began slowly, "Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest or something if they got involved considering how regularly Lucy visits the hospital?"

"Why?" Chris questioned, "It's not like she's one of his patients"

"No, but Annie will probably be in the children's ward for a long time" Jem argued, "So Greg might end up treating her once she's born"

Chris considered this, but inwardly suspected that there was more to Jem's questioning than he let on. Despite that, Chris decided to focus on the meal so he escorted Jem back to his home in order to help Lucy prepare for the double-date.

xxx

Chris and Jem tried to hide their grins as Lucy tried on several dresses which would not fit. She groaned as she fiddled with the zipper on the back of one of her many pink dresses which wouldn't budge, even after Chris attempted to zip it up, "Why doesn't anything fit?" she whined

"Because you're in your second trimester of pregnancy" Chris replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world

Lucy scowled, "I know, that was a rhetorical question" she pointed out

Chris shrugged, "Maybe we should have gone shopping for some bigger dresses"

"I will at some point, but it's too late now" Lucy sighed before groaning, "What am I supposed to wear?"

"How about a flattering top and smart trousers?" Jem suggested

"I'm not going into a business meeting!" Lucy exclaimed

Jem chuckled, "I know, but you should be wearing comfortable clothes instead of trying to squeeze into a dress that's too tight"

Lucy frowned, "Is it so wrong that I want to look good?"

"You always look good" Chris assured her

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Ok, I want to look beautiful"

"Look, I know this probably won't seem reassuring coming from a gay man" Jem began, "But the way I see it is that you're only as beautiful as you feel"

Lucy was confused as she searched through her wardrobe, "What do you mean?"

"I mean you could look a million dollars but if you're uncomfortable then **that's** what people are gonna see" he explained, "But even if you're wearing the ugliest or plainest clothes, as long as you feel comfortable and happy, you'll always look beautiful"

Lucy turned around and stared at him with a soft expression, "You know, I think I'll forget Greg and be with you instead"

Jem shrugged, "You know I would, were it not for the age gap and the fact that I'm with the father of your child"

Lucy glanced at Chris fondly, "Well the father of my child is very lucky to have you"

Chris nodded, "I know I am" he replied honestly

Lucy let out a deep breath before returning to her wardrobe, "Ok, trousers and a top it is then" she muttered as she searched for the items.

Once she had found what she was looking for, Chris and Jem left her alone in her room to get ready. After Chris shut the door, he bent down to kiss Jem tenderly.

Jem looked surprised once he pulled away, "What was that for?" he asked

"You're amazing" Chris replied softly, referring to what he had just told Lucy about beauty

Jem shrugged, "I have my moments" he joked before feeling uneasy again, which puzzled Chris even more.

xxx

Chris and Jem waited out of the way whilst Lucy answered the door to Greg. She was confused by the fact that her date wasn't carrying flowers like most people usually do on dates. Instead, he was carrying a bar of chocolate in one hand, and a flask in the other. However, she smiled anyway as he entered, "Hi" she greeted

"Hey" he replied, "You look amazing"

"Thanks, so do you" Lucy replied as she glanced up and down at the handsome, well-dressed man before kissing his cheek and nodding to the presents in his hands, "What's all this?"

Greg shifted uncomfortably, "Well I didn't want to bring flowers since that's kind of unoriginal, so instead I got you some dark chocolate because it's good for you in small amounts" he explained as he handed the bar of chocolate to her, "And this is a drink that's apparently helped a lot of expectant mothers with morning sickness, that's if you're having any problems with it"

Lucy was overjoyed by the gifts, "Thank you, that is so thoughtful" she breathed, "And the morning sickness isn't too bad at the moment, but at least I'll be prepared"

Greg chuckled as he handed the flask over, "I've also written down the ingredients, just in case you wanted to make it yourself" he continued, referring to the envelope that he had stuck to the flask.

"Oh, thank you" she replied as she hugged him, which was difficult to do with her hands full.

Listening to their conversation from the dining room next door, Chris was impressed so far by Greg, but he noticed Jem's troubled expression and was at a loss as to what was troubling him; though he put it down to nerves. However, they weren't sure how he'd react to having extra guests who happened to be a same-sex couple, so they waited with bated breath as Lucy warned him, which she did relatively quickly.

"Uh, I probably should have told you this before, but Chris' boyfriend is joining us for dinner" she explained awkwardly, "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Greg shook his head, "Not at all, I wouldn't want Chris to feel like a third wheel or anything" he replied as Lucy led him into the dining area, "I actually have a gay son, so I don't have any issues with…"

Greg broke off suddenly as his eyes locked with Jem's, "Jeremy?" he breathed incredulously

"Dad" Jem murmured coldly

"Of course" Chris sighed as he put his head in his hands and Lucy glanced between the men in shock. This was so typical. After everything that they had all been through, it was just their luck that Lucy's date happened to be Chris' boyfriend's father, making things ten times more difficult than they needed to be. Chris sensed a long and awkward night ahead.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Did anyone see that twist coming at the end? I tried to be subtle in the build-up, but I wasn't sure if it worked or not. Anyway, the next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


	15. Chapter 15

_This chapter continues immediately from the last one._

* * *

All four people in the room were silent for what seemed like an eternity. Chris and Lucy exchanged a look, silently agreeing to talk to them separately.

"Greg, why don't you help me with the drinks in the kitchen?" she suggested

Greg nodded slowly and allowed Lucy to lead him out of the room, leaving Chris and Jem in the dining area.

Once Greg and Lucy were alone in the kitchen, she shut the door, "Are you ok?" she asked gently

Greg let out a deep breath, "Yeah, I think I am"

"You're alright with Jem being here?" she checked

Greg nodded, "Of course I am, he's my son" he replied before pausing, "Which is **why** this is weird"

Lucy let out a laugh, "This was weird before we even knew you two were related"

Greg nodded, "I guess so" he agreed, "But I'm fine with it, although I'm not sure that Jem is"

Lucy glanced at him quizzically and Greg shook his head, "We haven't really spoken for a while" he explained dismissively.

Lucy nodded slowly, but realised that there was more to this story than just losing touch with his family. However, she didn't want to push the subject, so she focused on sorting out the meal and drinks.

Meanwhile, in the dining area, Chris turned to Jem, "Did you know Lucy's new man was your dad?"

Jem nodded hesitantly, "When you told me that his name was Greg and he was a paediatrician, I realised who he was"

Chris recalled Jem's discomfort after he had learnt about Greg, "But why didn't you say something straight away?"

"How do you admit something like that?" Jem questioned, "Besides, I didn't want to ruin this for Lucy, and I thought if I told her then she'd cancel the date"

Chris considered this before asking, "Are you ok with your dad possibly dating Lucy?"

Jem shrugged, "It's not my decision, is it?" he countered, "If they like each other, they should go for it"

Chris nodded, "Why don't we invite Zach over? He'd want to know what's going on, right?"

Jem shook his head quickly, "No, he's busy tonight" he argued weakly, "I'll tell him when I next see him"

Chris watched his boyfriend suspiciously, guessing that there was something else going on. However, he knew that this wasn't exactly the right time or place to question him considering that their guests were in the next room, so he let the subject drop.

xxx

Despite Chris claiming that arranging a double-date would prevent awkward silences, the only sounds that could be heard during the meal were that of cutlery against plates and guests sipping drinks. Neither Chris nor Lucy knew what to do to break the silence and kept exchanging uncomfortable glances across the table. Fortunately, the lack of conversation meant that the meal itself was consumed quite quickly so Chris jumped at the chance to collect the plates and excuse himself from the room. He was even tempted to wash the dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher, but he realised that would look suspicious.

Reluctantly returning to the dining area, he heard Greg clear his throat, "That was a really good meal, thanks"

Lucy glanced away coyly, "I'd love to take the credit for it, but I didn't actually make it" she admitted

Greg shrugged, "Well you did a good job of serving it" he replied light-heartedly before glancing at Jem, "Did you make this by any chance? You've always had a knack for cooking"

Jem shook his head, "Nope, I only found out about this meal a few minutes before it started" he revealed flatly, making Chris feel even more awkward

"I ordered in" Lucy interjected, "Not that we can't cook, but I didn't know what to make"

"That's fine" Greg replied dismissively, "I've practically been living off of takeaways and pasta for the last few years, so I'm not going to complain" he joked, glancing at Jem quickly.

Chris noticed Jem glaring at his dad and wondered what had happened to cause so much tension between them.

Fortunately, Chris and Lucy managed to find a temporary solution to the problem by engaging their respective dates in separate conversations. However, it didn't fix anything, and it was obvious that the date was a disaster when Greg made his excuses to leave as soon as the dessert bowls were collected. Lucy was glad that he had the decency to stick around as long as he had, and couldn't blame him for wanting to leave as quickly as possible. Chris wanted to confront Jem about his behaviour, but the other man made his escape only a few minutes later. Once it was just the two of them left, Chris and Lucy exchanged bewildered looks and wondered what was going on between the two men.

xxx

The following morning, Chris was still confused about the disastrous date and decided to visit Jem as soon as he possibly could. At the door he was greeted casually by Zach, who automatically stepped aside for Chris to enter, since it had become habit recently.

Chris made his way into the living room, "So, how do you feel about your dad and Lucy?" he asked Zach tentatively

Zach looked confused, "What about my dad and Lucy?"

Chris hesitated, "They're dating" he replied, puzzled that he didn't know about what had transpired the previous evening

"They are?" Zach asked

"Yeah" Chris responded slowly, "Didn't Jem tell you?"

"No, he didn't" Zach muttered with an unreadable expression. As Jem wheeled himself in from his bedroom with a regretful look on his face, Zach glanced at him coldly before hurrying into his own room.

Jem sighed, "You just told him about last night, didn't you?"

"Yeah, sorry" Chris apologised sheepishly, "I assumed that you already had"

Jem shook his head, "No, I hadn't"

"Why not?" Chris asked

Jem shrugged, "Because I didn't think it was that important" he replied unconvincingly

"There's more to it, isn't there?" Chris questioned suspiciously, "You were acting weird all night, especially when I suggested that we invite Zach over, and now he's all upset about Greg and Lucy being together so what's going on?"

Jem held his gaze for a moment before glancing away, "You know how I told you that I had a closer relationship with dad than mom?"

Chris nodded as he sat down on the sofa, "Yeah"

"Well it was the other way around for Zach" Jeremy replied, "Once he was diagnosed with Asperger's, mom went above and beyond to care for him, putting his needs above everyone else's. And I guess I felt a bit neglected so dad stepped up, and it was like Zach and I were being raised by two different people even though we were living in the same house"

"So he wasn't close to Greg?" Chris asked

"Not really, it was all about mom for him" Jem explained, "After she died, Zach really struggled. We all did, obviously, but because of his condition Zach could barely handle his own emotions, let alone recognise anyone else's"

"Yeah, that's got to be tough" Chris murmured

"It was worse for dad" Jem argued, "Even though he and mom had been separated a while, he was really affected by her death. You know, regretting how things ended between them and having to cope with his job and taking care of Zach"

Chris narrowed his eyes at him, "What about you?"

"I'd moved out by then" Jem replied, "I did visit sometimes to help out when I wasn't working, but I guess that wasn't enough"

"What do you mean?" he questioned

"Just after mom's funeral, Zach's behaviour got worse and he ended up lashing out and attacking dad" Jem began, "Dad did recover but it took a while, so he could barely work and he definitely couldn't take care of Zach after that. So he basically kicked him out of home and forced him to move in with me, and he's been here ever since"

"Wow, that sounds really difficult" Chris murmured, "So you resent what Greg did?"

"Not really" Jem shrugged, "Ok, I wasn't thrilled about Zach moving in because I finally had my own space and I'd kind of looked after him at school and all that, but now I can't imagine not having him here. Besides, dad didn't have much of a choice considering what had happened, so I would have done the same if I'd been his position"

"Then what happened at dinner?" Chris questioned, "You were giving Greg the death-stare all night"

Jem sighed, "It was just the way he was acting as though nothing had ever happened" he replied, "You know, joking around, apparently not caring about Zach at all"

"Well he seemed as uncomfortable as the rest of us did" Chris pointed out, "And maybe he didn't know whether he **should** bring Zach up in conversation. I mean, considering what you just told me, I'd image he was probably feeling conflicted"

"I guess" Jem shrugged

Chris gazed at him for a few moments before asking, "So they haven't spoken since Greg kicked Zach out?"

"Nope" Jem replied as he shook his head, "Dad calls him a few times a year to check up on him, but Zach's never really jumping at the chance to have a chat"

"I can't really say I blame him, to be honest" Chris muttered

"Me neither, but you'd think we would have pulled together after mom died" Jem responded, "She'd be so upset if she knew what things were like between us now"

"Then maybe you should do something about it" Chris suggested

"You think I haven't tried?" Jem questioned in annoyance, "It's not like I've been sitting here for the last five years accepting that this is the way things are"

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to suggest that" Chris quickly assured him, "I mean, now that we're together and Greg's with Lucy it's brought you and Zach closer to him, so maybe now's the right time to try to help them reconcile"

Jem considered this. He thought that he had exhausted every option for bringing his father and brother back together, and didn't think that there was anything else that could be done. However, if Chris could come up with another method then Jem was on board for doing whatever his boyfriend suggested in order to get his family back.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Apologies if this chapter seems a bit disjointed; I was trying to cover quite a lot of different ideas to maintain the movement. I have a vague plan of where I want the story to go, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!_


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